Love, After The Fighting's Over
by ZekeFreek
Summary: When the smoke cleared, they were going to be together. They had to be. That was the way these things were supposed to end, right? He was going to choose her, just as she had chosen to be with him. All they needed to do was decide. You can't always be split between two worlds and two lives, we need to be one and whole. Follows the Anime Ending, GintaXSnow/Koyuki.
1. Resolution

Love, After The Fighting's Over

A/N: Yes, the title is a reference to the last episode of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness of the same name. I thought it was equally fitting here. What follows is an epilogue of sorts to the anime ending of MÄR.

* * *

Ginta stood on the familiar sidewalk path, his eyes focused on the sky above him. It was just as she said, it was indeed snowing, though it was far too late for snow to fall. He turned his head to Koyuki, who was still clinging to his arm. "Wait... so... what does this mean?", he asked, bemused by the trickle of pure white flakes around him. She only smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. She looked up to sky for a brief moment before answering, "Snow is Koyuki... and Koyuki is Snow... Didn't I tell you that?".

Ginta's brain lurched back to memories of just a few days before. The terrible revelation he experienced while inside Snow's mind, the reason for her existence and, for her connection to Koyuki. In all their days together in MÄR Heaven, the thought had occurred several times, but the words she spoke back then still unnerved him to his core. Snow was a magically conceived clone of Koyuki, made solely to tear a rift between the worlds so the King and Queen could conquer Earth.

But... Snow had died, burnt alive by the King. Ginta would never forget how she faded away in his arms. How she confessed her love to him as she disappeared, but he could not find it in him to say what he had wanted to say. He had the idea to try resurrecting her, as he had done with his father. But it wasn't possible, his father still had a body to return to, whereas Snow...

He looked down at Koyuki again, "What are you trying to say?", he inquired, not taking his eyes off of her. She looked back at him, gazing into his eyes and replied, "We've merged... no longer half and half, but now one and whole". Ginta's heart skipped a beat, somewhere in the back of his mind he had suspected it, but thought it would be too good to be true. The Queen herself had said that they shared a soul, and now the two parts were one.

In the midst of trying to understand, he asked her, "That's... wow... what is it like?". She looked back to the sky, where the soft snow continued to drift slowly down a river of air. "Well, at first it was... jarring. To have two different sets of memories colliding together", she replied, tightening her grip on his arm. "I'm trying to get used to it, but it's all so much. I keep forgetting things about this world... I even forgot how to use chopsticks the other day...".

Ginta nodded, trying to piece it all together in his head, he chuckled, "So... if you're one. What do I call you? Snow or Koyuki?". She chuckled a bit too, responding, "Heh, I... still don't really know. They both seem... right", she looked back into his eyes, "That's probably because they are both right". It didn't really answer his question, but Ginta knew there was something more important he needed to say. He blushed profusely and turned his eyes to a nearby empty park.

"Hey, why don't we sit down over there?", he asked, pointing towards the park. Koyuki nodded and the pair walked across the road, Koyuki still clinging to Ginta's arm. The park had been damaged in the battle against the Orb. Swings were ripped off from their sets and the slide had broken in half, but the simple wooden bench seemed as fine as ever. Seeing the damage provoked a bit of sadness in Ginta, this was one of several parks the two of them played in as children.

The pair sat on the bench, which faced directly towards the sunset. Before Ginta could speak, Koyuki looked down and said solemnly, "Ginta... thank you...". He looked down her, simply responding with a confused "Hm?". She fidgeted a bit before continuing, "You kept coming for me... you saved me from the Chess twice... and even once from myself... even though I was useless. And even after you knew the truth... you didn't abandon me...".

Ginta stared at her, he wanted to say something then and there, but somehow knew she wasn't quite done. As expected, she continued, "When... I died... I was so scared... scared of never seeing you again. Scared that I would fail to do anything... I told you I was never supposed to exist... I was scared that my existence would be meaningless...". Ginta swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat. The urge to speak up grew larger still, but he waited once more.

"I wanted your praise... I wanted your approval more than anything. Anything that would make me feel useful... make me feel like my existence had purpose... I tried so hard, I really did. But it didn't matter, even after all the training, all the promises... I kept failing...", she went on, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ginta's own eyes were starting to water, all of her feelings were coming out at once.

"I told you... that I love you. Seeing those visions of this world... I was jealous of my other self... even if I would forget them later... seeing you made me feel like I wasn't alone... the day I finally met you for real was... the happiness moment of my life, even if I couldn't remember why... I tried so hard because... I wanted you to rely on me... just like you always relied on her...", her words were soft-spoken and heartfelt.

Ginta gritted his teeth, he couldn't hear any more with saying something. He pulled his arm out of her grasp and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her towards him. "Snow... you aren't useless. You're not worthless... you gave me strength when I needed it most. Every time you cheered my name, I felt a surge of courage. When you watched me fight, I knew I couldn't lose no matter what", he said in the most matter-of-fact tone he could manage.

Snow's face was bright red and stained with tears, she couldn't believe it. She was... worthless, she couldn't do anything and yet, he was still comforting her. She listened intently as he went on, "When you were captured... it was all I could think about. I almost gave up without you... I wanted to ditch the War Game and save you right away, but I kept at it and I did what nobody thought possible... I defeated Phantom. And I did it for you. I knew I'd never see you again if I didn't... you gave me the will to fight against all odds, Snow... that's far from being worthless...".

Snow's tears kept coming, her eyes were turning as red as her face. His words were starting to turn her, these words she desperately wanted to hear, words more valuable than anything. One more push... and she might start to believe it herself. She looked at him with watery eyes as he finished, "Snow... maybe you were never supposed to exist... but I'm sure as hell glad you do". And with that, he pulled her in close and held her tight.

Snow, still shocked from all his kind words was slow to return the hug. When she did, she muttered quietly, "You... You're not lying. You... mean all of that?". Ginta hugged her tighter, "Of course I do. Like I said back then... you are precious to me. Whether in one world or the other... I've always relied on you...". Snow smiled, not the widest of grins, but a genuine, warm smile.

"Snow, I should've said this back then... when you were dying... I should've returned your feelings then and there but... with you dying right there in my arms, I just... couldn't work up the nerve...", he said in a calm, warm voice. Snow perked up her ears, could this be it? The words she craved to hear, ever since she was just a lonely little princess dreaming of another world?

Ginta realized there was no turning back now. What he was about to say would change the two of them. They would become something more than teammates, something more than friends... Ginta took a short moment to look inside his heart, and deciding this was the course that he would take. He pushed her away so he could look at her face, a face still so pretty despite the tears. He'd always thought she was cute but... looking at her now... he noticed things he never had before. He couldn't figure out what was different, but he knew it was there. Or... maybe... it had always been there?

He swallowed hard and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Snow... I love you".

Snow gazed into his eyes for what seemed like forever, and she could feel her heart beating harder and faster than it had ever before. "Ginta... You... would choose me?", she said in a soft, hopeful tone. Ginta stared at her, she was blushing all over and nervously fidgeting in her seat. He closed his eyes for only a brief moment, as if envisioning the future they could have together. When he opened them again, he stated simply, "Yes".

Snow wore a peaceful face as she fell onto his chest. Try as she might, there were no words to describe this feeling. She pressed against his chest, to hear his heart beating in sync with her own. He loved her... that was it. She no longer felt worthless, because... she meant something to him... everything to him. For the first time since learning the truth of why she was born... Snow was truly happy to be alive. She was no longer just a tool in the plot of an evil queen. She was... a person.

She closed her eyes as a gentle breeze blew through her hair, "Ginta... I... I'm going to be the best girlfriend for you... because you... are precious to me". She should've expected it, but it still took her by surprise. Ginta lifted her head up, leaned in... and kissed her. She kissed him back, as if by instinct. They had kissed before, twice in fact, but this was different. This wasn't an accident. This wasn't a kiss brought on by gravity... this was a kiss brought on by love.

A whole minute passed before the embrace ended. And before she knew it they were walking again, they were going back to his mother's apartment for dinner. They took the long way back, Ginta said he wanted to give his parents a bit time alone together, afterall this was first time they had seen each other in years.

The four of them ate dinner together, talking and reuniting. Everybody was happy to see each other. Snow was so entranced by what had happened earlier, she didn't even notice what she was eating, though she was sure it was good. It was a long meal, everybody had a lot of catching up to do. But it soon became late and Snow... or rather Koyuki knew she'd need to return home soon.

She was surprised when Ginta's father said she should spend the night. His mother gave him a puzzled look at first, but seemed to understand soon enough. They hadn't told them what happened in the park, but Ginta's father somehow seemed to figure it out on his own. She and Ginta found themselves in his room as night fell.

She was given a separate futon, but as the minutes turned to hours she realized she couldn't sleep. Snow turned and glanced back at Ginta's own futon. She sighed, she knew why she couldn't sleep. She needed something after all that happened today, but blushed at the thought. She couldn't just...

As she was in mid-thought, she heard footsteps coming toward her. He probably just needed some water, she thought. But to her surprise, Ginta kneeled down and got under her covers. Shocked, she rolled around to face him, blushing profusely. "You can't sleep either, right?", he whispered. Her eyes fixed on his, Snow nodded.

He pulled her in close, embracing her as he muttered, "I love you, Snow...". She smiled and leaned in, briefly kissing him on the cheek. She managed to whisper back, "I love you" before quickly falling asleep in his arms.

* * *

A/N: There will be more. Possibly 5 or 6 chapters total. This is really kind of a dedication for me as GintaXSnow was the very first pairing I ever shipped way back when.


	2. Winter's Embrace

**Several Months Later**

* * *

Frost covered every window as the wind howled outside the small home. It was middle of December and winter had invaded the landscape practically overnight. The change of season was the perfect time for Koyuki to finish what she had been working on for some time now. She wanted to surprise him, and couldn't wait to see a sly grin on his face. Referring of course to Ginta Toramizu, her boyfriend of seven months.

She worked tirelessly to make sure all the details were correct, which as it turned out had been a difficult process. Koyuki needed to recall the entire design by memory alone, and while it had improved somewhat in the time since the two halves of her soul merged together, her memories of both Earth and MÄR Heaven were still not perfect. Which had become especially annoying in her schoolwork, so much so that even her classmates had noticed a difference in her grades since spring.

Ginta tried to help her the best he could, which admittedly wasn't all that much considering he had been out of school for months beforehand and had relied on her help previous to that. Their attempts to study together usually amounted to a frustrating few hours trying to figure out mathematics, only to eventually give up and play games for the rest of the night. Koyuki had no idea what they were going to do in a few years for a living. Hm... perhaps they could follow Ginta-mama's example and write Märchen together?

She shrugged and continued her diligent work. Sure, they would need to figure something out eventually, but for now she was enjoying her day to day life too much to worry about it. The last seven months had been the best of either of her lives. The endless battles of the War Game seemed like they happened so long ago, the two of them had reverted back to their more carefree selves.

The project was almost done, and she was just adding some final touches. It hadn't been easy, she had been taking lessons from the other girls all summer, and this was her fifteenth attempt to get it right. They were more than a little confused by Koyuki's very specific design, but provided their instruction and assistance regardless. After another hour, it was finally finished. She inspected every piece, wanting to make sure it was all in order.

* * *

Ginta walked down the familiar pathway, as he had all his life. The same old route to Koyuki's place, a path he knew by heart. A big white coat draped over him, something he hadn't worn in quite some time. It was the first truly chilly day of the season, and he was always told to put on a coat if he could see his own breath. Oddly enough, it might've been Koyuki herself who first told him that years ago.

He smiled behind his scarf, every now and again he'd be reminded of something like that. As far back as he could remember she was always looking out for him, in retrospect he had felt kinda bad for taking it for granted for so long. Now things were different, they had each other, and they looked out for eachother. The composite Koyuki was growing into her own being in subtle ways he doubted anyone but himself could notice. Bits that were clearly Koyuki and bits that were clearly Snow. The soul fusion seemed to be settling, the different bits were melding together and blurring the line.

In the beginning of their relationship, he could always tell which personality was more dominant. Don't misunderstand, from the get-go their personalities were extremely similar, but there were little things here and there. Ginta had theorized the differences were largely a result of how they each had been raised. But these days, it was getting harder to distinguish. He loved them as two halves of the same whole, but she was slowly turning into a metaphysical best-of-both-worlds.

He walked up to ring the doorbell. The handle immediately jerked and swung open, revealing something Ginta did not expect to see. There was Koyuki, wearing the same Princess outfit Snow had worn back in MÄR Heaven. She put her hands behind her back, "Mhmm, How do I look?". Ginta was honestly stunned, he hadn't seen her in that for the longest time. He stammered, "Wow, uh... You look great! But, how did-".

She cut him off, "I made it myself, I... have actually been working on it all summer... So? Are you surprised?". Ginta grew the iconic sly grin that she been expected. He took a moment to examine the outfit more closely. Everything was there, even her cute bow. The colors were all right and... this was impressive. But there was something else he needed to check. He walked towards her and gave her a gentle hug. Koyuki blushed a bit, as Ginta let out a playful laugh, "Wow, it even feels right. I can't believe it's not the same one from before, Snow".

"It was actually really hard to recall everything by memory... oh, but I didn't make the boots... Thankfully I found some very similar ones", she went on. After a few more moments, they were walking down the sidewalk together. Ginta was a little worried the colorful outfit would attract a lot of attention, but nobody seemed to pay them much mind. There weren't too many people around anyway. Ginta looked at Snow, walking beside him, and smiled, seeing her in that outfit was oddly... nostalgic.

"Hey, not that I don't like the look, but are you warm enough in that?", he asked, looking down at her bare legs, legs he had gotten quite better acquainted with since he had last seen her in that outfit. Snow nodded, "I'm fine. Its still early winter so its not so cold yet", Ginta raised an eyebrow. That may be true... but wearing shorts in December was still an odd decision. Well, he figured there was no reason to pry. As they continued to trek down the nearly empty streets, the conversation turned to a topic they hadn't discussed in some time.

"Do you ever miss MÄR Heaven?", Snow asked, her eyes staring blankly into the cloudy sky. "Well, it certainly was a challenge to get used to normal life again. But I think back to it sometimes.", he answered, putting his hands in his pockets. "Heh. I actually wonder how Jack is doing everytime I see a shovel", he chuckled. Snow also let out a bit of a giggle, "So by that logic, you think of Alviss everytime you see a totem pole?", Ginta laughed at that, responding, "Haha, sadly I don't think I've seen a single totem pole since I came back".

Snow continued to giggle, "I bet he'd be disappointed". Ginta felt her hand reach into his pocket, pull out his own and held it. He scratched his head with his other hand, "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot you like doing that" he said. Snow had been fairly intent on holding his hand these last few months. Neither of them were wearing gloves, so he could feel her soft fingers wrap around his own. A cool winter breeze blew past her as she inquired, "Would you ever want to go back?". Ginta turned his head sharply, "Hm? Is there a part of you that dislikes living here?". Snow shook her head.

"No, no. I only meant to visit. Though... if I'm being honest... I feel both right at home and homesick at the same time...", she explained. Ginta glanced at her, it hadn't been easy for her to adjust to having two lives merge as one. She had improved with his help but... he suspected that deep down, she would always be torn between two worlds. He gripped her hand a litte tighter, "Well... I wouldn't mind catching up with everyone... but there's nothing we could do from our end. No Gatekeeper Clowns over here". Snow nodded understandingly.

Ginta went on, "We would need atleast two for a round trip. Maybe more if we're unlucky enough to roll ones. Its a very rare ÄRM, so frequent hopping between worlds may not be possible for us". Snow nodded again, shoving her free hand into a pocket. "Besides, this world has rules. Frequently disappearing for weeks at a time isn't a great idea", he said, now realizing he was starting to disappoint himself. He noticed Snow's head was hung low, and added, "But hey, if they summon us... I won't say no". She looked up and smiled at him, satisfied with that answer.

"Thanks, it's just... I know Ed must be worrying about me. And... I never got to say goodbye to my father... He might not even know I'm alive...", she said solemnly. Ginta nodded, "It must be weird to remember two sets of parents". She nodded, looking away to buildings off in the distance. "Yes... Though I suppose only one set are my real parents. Being a clone, none of my father's, er... The king's blood was in me to begin with", she stated coldly. Ginta sighed, it was still bothering her to this day. He pulled her a bit closer to him, replying "Family isn't all in the blood, you know... If you loved him, nobody can claim he wasn't 'real'...". She blushed a little.

"The two of us could be... Family?", she said, looking increasingly happy at the thought. Ginta saw no reason to be pessimistic, "Yeah, some day". Snow chuckled and moved in a little closer, almost leaning on him as they walked, responding, "I guess that will make you a prince, no?". Ginta couldn't help but laugh at that, "Hadn't thought of that, but... Yeah, technically!". The two of them laughed as they crossed the street in front of all the stopped cars. "I can't wait to see a crown on top of all this hair!", she exclaimed, reaching up to ruffle Ginta's golden spikes. He blushed a bit and retorted, "Hey! I don't recall ever seeing you wear a crown!".

She laughed again, "I could've, but I thought you'd find me cuter with this bow", she pointed to the pink bow upon her head. Ginta took a good look at her giggling face and said, "Well... The bow is really cute...". She gave him a gentle elbow to his ribs, "Don't be shy! Be honest, you missed the bow, didn't you?", upon hearing this, Ginta rolled his eyes. She was right, of course, but he wondered if he should give her the satisfaction of embarrassing him. He allowed his face to become more red, admitting "Yeah... Kinda...". She giggled harder.

"Hehe, you're lucky I'm nice enough not to manipulate you with my cuteness!" she proclaimed, now grinning from ear to ear. Ginta continued to chuckle, "A power greater than any ÄRM!", he replied. Snow took a moment to catch her breath after laughing so long, before asking, "So what would be your first decree as prince?". Ginta grinned mischievously, "Order thee to smooch moi every day!" he answered jokingly. She rolled her eyes and replied, "Silly! I already do that!", she then gave him a peck on the cheek as if to prove her point. Ginta blushed and thought over the question again.

He snapped his fingers, "Aha! I would commission more Gatekeeper Clowns be made!". Snow shook her head, "You dummy! All ÄRMs are made in Caldea! Not Lestarva!", after which she gave him a light bonk on the head. Ginta's face became redder from embarrassment before saying, "Oh yeah... That's right...". Snow kept on laughing, "I'm starting to think you wouldn't make a very good prince, Ginta...". He shrugged, "Yeah well, I'm a war hero. Nobody would expect me to decree anything". She hummed in agreement, looking up at the sky once again.

"Hey... I've been wondering... Why do you always call me by Koyuki in public, but only call me Snow when it's just the two of us?", she asked earnestly. Ginta thought it over and shrugged again, "I guess because everyone in this world knows you as Koyuki anyway... It would look strange if I started calling you something else. I know you're one person now... But it's still hard to wrap my head around it, so I call you by both names so... It's like neither identity is forgotten, does that make sense?". She tilted her head and though it over before nodding, "A bit, it's a nice enough compromise".

They walked past a hill familiar to the both of them, a hill with long grass on one side and thick forest on the other. They had spent many summer nights lying on the grass, watching the sunset. Snow sighed, "Guess we can't do that again for awhile, huh?". Ginta shrugged, "Yeah... Not unless you want to get frostbite...". He looked over to the forest side fondly, he could recall days where he and Koyuki would play together in the forest when the other kids wouldn't leave him alone in the park. He felt a twinge in his spine, feeling almost guilty now knowing Snow had been watching them through her dreams even then.

He always had Koyuki... But Snow grew up all alone and friendless in the castle. He clenched his free hand into a fist, he was determined to make sure Snow would never be lonely again. Deep down he knew he wasn't responsible for her situation but... He had the chance to make her happy now and he was going to do everything he could. He loosened his fist and took a deep breath, it wasn't good to get so worked up. It was all over now, her soul was in one piece, the Orb was gone and both worlds were safe. He knew this but... He couldn't help but think back to when he was inside Snow's mind... He didn't want to see her like that ever again.

At long last they had arrived at their destination, the movie theater. This was one of those smaller, discount theaters that mostly showed smaller budget projects or old films. This was another one of the places they came to as kids. Looking over the listings, the pair decided on a cheesy-looking fantasy film called Silmarri- er... something. Once the show started, the two realized they were the only ones in the theater. "Ginta! Lets snag the best seats up there!", Snow exclaimed gesturing the middle seats on the highest row in the back. Ginta smirked and grabbed her shoulder as she began to move, "Wait, I have an idea... Why don't we race to the top?".

She looked puzzled for a brief second, but then a competitive fire lit in her eyes and she nodded, "Alright, opposite sides, whoever touches the middle seat first wins!". Ginta nodded and ran to the bottom of the stairs on the adjacent side of the theater. They both counted aloud, "Ichi! Ni! San!", and ran up the stairs at breakneck pace. Ginta glanced across the theater, he was just barely ahead of her. If he kept up the pace, he could be victorious. As they both reached the top of the stairs, they sharply turned and made a dash for the middle seat. Just as he reached out to touch it, Snow did something he didn't expect.

Instead of reaching for the seat, she leapt forward and tackle-hugged him to the floor. He blushed, both out of shock and the fact his girlfriend was squeezing him pretty tight. She chuckled, "Got ya!", as she reached back with her foot and tapped the seat. Ginta grunted, "Hey! This is cheating!", as he tried to wriggle himself free. Snow gave him a innocent look, "Hm? I don't recall any rules against glomping...". Ginta sighed, though he was a little impressed, Snow was clever when she needed to be. "Oh, don't feel bad... Here, I'll give you a consolation prize", she said, still hugging him tightly against the floor. She kissed his cheek and hopped off of him and into the middle seat.

Ginta stood up and brushed himself off and tried to sit down beside her but she threw her arm in the way. He looked at her cheerful grinning face, "Loser has to get drinks!". Ginta hung his head low in shame and walked off to the concession booth. That Koyuki... She was just a bundle of energy and fun, Ginta thought to himself. They were destined to mess with each other til' the end of time. He had taken her for granted for so long, and it took a dangerous adventure in another world for him realize how great she was for him. The movie was just starting when he returned with their drinks, he handed one to her and took his seat beside her. She grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulders, Ginta frantically swore, "Hey! I was just about to!".

The story concerned a rookie squire finding an enchanted talking sword imbued with the spirit of a wise knight from long ago, and taking on a quest to destroy a powerful lich's undead army and save his kingdom. It was clearly a older film. It had its twists and turns but wasn't all that memorable overall. The pair felt free to discuss as there was nobody else in the theater. They imitated the sub-par delivery of certain lines, laughed at the cheesy special effects and marveled at the intricate make-up and costume design. The film wasn't great, but a fun time was had.

After the movie, they hung around the theater lobby for some time. "Doesn't it feel weird to watch fantasy films after what we've been through?", Koyuki inquired, sipping her drink as Ginta responded, "Yeah, it's almost like watching reality TV!". They both chuckled, she grinned, looking up at him, "You have more experience than anyone with talking weapons, huh?". Ginta nodded, "Trust me, it was never easy dealing with Babbo. These movies have it all wrong! That sword never asked to be polished even once!".

They laughed and started to head elsewhere down the road, the overcast sky growing brighter with the mid-afternoon sun overhead. The cool wind blew past them, then later back around from behind. Koyuki took a long glance at Ginta, trying to judge if it was a good time to bring up something on her mind. "Hey... Ginta?". He turned to face her, raising an eyebrow, "Hm? What's up?". She fidgeted a little before going on, "Have you ever considered... Us, living in MÄR Heaven?". Ginta's expression grew more stern, "You're bringing this up alot today... What's the matter?".

She shook her head, "Nothing! Just... Curious is all...". He didn't seem fully convinced, but didn't question her as he responded, "To be honest... No. I've thought about visiting occasionally if we could, but living there is another story". She glanced away for a moment, "But... We have friends there. We have some purpose there... Think about it, who else have you spent time with besides me since you came back?". Ginta racked his brain, but she was right. There wasn't anyone, he had been spending time with either Koyuki or his dad all summer.

"You're not wrong... But... It's complicated, okay? I mean... Our parents are here. Mine might understand, but yours? They don't know anything about MÄR Heaven! Do you really want to just abandon them? Think about how they'd feel... Their daughter disappearing without a word, and they'd never see you again!", he explained, and as he did, Koyuki's expression became slightly shameful. Ginta went on, "And even then, there's things I like about this world! Technology for instance! I like my games and movies! I'd love to be able to drive a car someday!".

Koyuki looked sad as she replied, "Ginta... I'm sorry... It was just a thought, I...", she stopped. Ginta felt bad, she clearly didn't mean to offend him or anything. He patted her on the back, "Hey, hey... I'm not upset. I'm just showing you it's not as simple as all that", he said softly. She nodded but still looked away, something else was troubling her. She spoke, "This isn't just about us, is it? Something happened before you left, right?". Ginta sighed, she was too clever sometimes.

"Yeah... Sort of... You see, before I left... I had to tell Dorothy the truth...", he began. Koyuki looked confused, "... Did you... Like her, Ginta?". He shrugged as he answered, "That's... Kind of what I had to tell her. We were never together, don't misunderstand... But... I needed to make it clear that I didn't love her the same way she did me...". Koyuki looked at him with a more serious expression. "I told her that I loved her... But in a different way... The same way I love mom, or maybe the same way I'd love an older sister... That it was you I really wanted to be with...", he explained in a somber tone.

Koyuki's eyes relaxed a bit as she asked, "What did she say then? Did she take that well?". Ginta sighed and looked up at the sky, "She told me... That if that's how I really felt, that's the way it is. That I should go back to you as soon as possible and take good care of you". Koyuki looked a little surprised, perhaps it was an old jealousy talking, but she didn't expect such an understanding reaction. "You see? Choosing to come back here was the same as choosing to be with you! Going back now seems like... Well... The idea doesn't make me feel comfortable...", Ginta explained.

"It's not like I never want to see her again... Or that I have no interest in just being friends but... Showing up there now that we're together? I feel like that might be seen as... I don't know... Showing off?", Ginta went on. A part of Koyuki's brain liked the idea of rubbing their happy relationship in her face, but another part told her there was no need to be a jerk about it. "I kinda get how you feel... But you made your feelings clear, right? She needs to respect the boundary you've drawn. It's not your fault if she gets upset about it...", Koyuki said.

Ginta pinched his temple, "Yeah... Yeah... you're right. You're absolutely right, but... I don't know". Koyuki sighed, she knew this wouldn't just resolve itself, sometimes Ginta needed to see things for himself or else he'd just overthink it. She understood what he felt but... At the same time, she felt a little frustrated. He was her boyfriend now! Why was this still even an issue? It wasn't even that she didn't like Dorothy, she had even gotten along with her sometimes. Koyuki was a little ashamed to admit it, but she was still selfish with Ginta. Koyuki wanted him all to herself, which was easy enough on Earth where no other girl even gave him a second glance.

She sighed again and decided she didn't like the gloomy mood she had created. She moved in and hugged Ginta around the shoulders, "Well hey, don't worry about it! Like you said before, there's nothing we can do on our end! We'll just deal with it if they summon us!", she said in a cheerful tone. She looked up to check if it worked, and it seemed to. Ginta's serious expression softened and he nodded. As they walked down the road together, Ginta reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it as they continued on.

* * *

**A/N: Still more to come! **


	3. There And Back Again

**Christmas Day**

* * *

It was a beautiful evening, the sun bathed the land in a soothing orange hue as snowflakes slowly tumbled down to earth. In an opening between the long shadows of the trees was a roaring bonfire, and beside it was an old wooden bench. Upon that old bench were two young lovers enjoying what they hoped would be the first of many christmases together. Snow leaned against Ginta, her head on his shoulder and their arms around each other. They had been talking, but she had kept her eyes closed the whole time, just enjoying the mood.

This was one of several picnic rest areas in the forest, while the pair had never had reason to use them before, they knew the area well enough to know they existed. Most might consider a fireplace more romantic but most Japanese homes, especially apartments don't have those. Neither of them minded much however, to them, it seemed a place they were familiar with was best. For a time they simply reminisced how the time they had spent playing in the forest years ago. The tree-climbing, fake sword fights, games of hide and seek, etc.

Snow pulled up her legs and threw them over onto Ginta's lap and softly asked, "Ginta... my legs are getting cold, would you mind?". He chuckled and enveloped his arms over her body, resting his chin on her knees, her head still resting on his shoulder. She had been wearing her homemade outfit nearly every day since she first surprised him with it a little over a week ago. She hadn't complained about the cold before now, and admittedly even though it was Christmas evening, it wasn't ridiculously cold or anything but...

"Snow... I know it's part of the set but... Why are you wearing shorts when it's so cold?", he asked, his concerned tone emanating through the otherwise silent woods. Snow opened her eyes, and seemed rather taken aback. She fidgeted with her hands and mumbled something under her breath. Ginta shook his head, "You don't need to do it for me. You look great either way, and I'd rather you be comfortable", he said calmly. He reached into the pack he had brought with him and pulled out something long and heavy.

It was a big, thick, black... blanket. He tossed it over the two of them and wrapped it around them. Snow looked surprised for a moment but soon snuggled into his arms underneath the thick cover. He reached further into his pack as he spoke, "Well, you gave me a gift earlier, but I wasn't quite finished with yours at the time but it's all finished now". He pulled out a long chain, followed by a familiar looking snowman. Snow's eyes widened, "Eh!? Yuki-chan!?", she exclaimed in disbelief. Ginta smiled warmly as he fastened it around her neck, adding, "The outfit didn't quite look complete without it, you know...".

She held it in the palm of her hands, examining it closely. It was carved wood that was carefully painted over with enough layers to give it a smooth, round feel. It wasn't a perfect copy, of course, but it felt just right enough to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia. She blushed and leaned in to kiss his cheek, "Th-thank you, Ginta... This really means a lot to me...". She looked down at herself, "You're right. It feels complete now, I always thought something was missing, but couldn't remember what... Thank you...".

Ginta blushed and scratched his head, "Eh... You're welcome. It was fun to make, though I feel bad I couldn't put any magic power into it". Snow giggled and hugged him tighter, "That would've been beyond impressive, but I'm happy with it as is", she reassured him. Ginta looked up at the sky as it darkened into night, and started thinking out loud, "Hm... Wait. Yuki means Snow. So... In a way... You're both Yuki-chan?". Snow laughed at that, "Yeah, I guess! You could always call me Snow-chan if you wanted...".

Ginta shrugged, "Maybe on occasion. Make it more special, you know?", he stated, returning his gaze to her. Snow raised an eyebrow, "Special occasion? It is Christmas, you know?", she smirked as she waited for his reply. Ginta leaned in closer, "Fair enough. Merry Christmas, Snow-chan!", he exclaimed, almost jokingly. Snow crossed her arms and pouted, "Hmph, that wasn't very affectionate...". He pretended to roll his eyes, "Sorry, there's always next year, though". Snow delivered a playful nudge to his ribcage, "You're so mean!", she said in a jovial tone.

Ginta's eyes lit up with an idea, "Speaking of which, wanna build a snowman?". Snow pondered this for a moment, her face looking strangely determined, "Hm... I do want to... But that would mean you'd have to stop holding me...", she replied completely seriously. Ginta looked a little baffled, "Snow... I hold you all the time...", he stated plainly. She sighed, "I knooooooow... but I'm sooooooo comfy right now...". Ginta stroked his chin, replying, "Okay. Tell you what. You help me build a snowman and I won't let go of you for the rest of the night, deal?". She weighed her options for a moment before answering in a delightful tone, "Hmm... Throw in fifty kisses and you've got a deal!".

Ginta wore a flabbergasted expression, "W-wait a minute... How exactly is kissing you a punishment?". She shook her head, "It's not punishment, silly! It's payment". Ginta decided that he would have a lifetime to figure out the inner workings of Snow's mind, but for the time being simply nodded in agreement. The pair slowly got up and walked to a nearby mound of snow, each gathering snow to pack into tiny balls. They each rolled their respective balls around, gaining additional mass as they went. When the sizes were just right, Snow lifted her ball on top of Ginta's. The face was made with various stones on the ground.

They stood side by side, attempting to admire their work but... "That was... too easy...", Ginta stated blankly. Snow nodded, "I remember building a snowman used to be a bit more... fun?". Ginta scratched his head and sighed, "Well... we were pretty small...". The pair looked at each other and after a brief moment, they both simultaneously bursted in laughter. It was one of those moments only the closest of people know of, a moment where you just start laughing even when nothing is funny. Snow leapt up and hugged him around the shoulders, chanting, "Pay up! Pay up!".

Ginta was just about to, but suddenly the area grew dark. Not just dark... darker than dark... pitch black. This was all too familiar, and then as if on queue, a large blue glowing rune circle appeared below them. As expected, a large gate shot out of the ground and a familiar looking hooded clown appeared. Ginta gulped, "Gatekeeper Clown...", sweat rolling down his neck. This was it, someone was summoning them to the other side... to MÄR Heaven.

Snow's eyes widened as the clown approached. "_Oh... It's you again... Alright then, you know the drill... Let the die decide_", the figure spoke in a raspy, otherworldly tone. A die materialized in his hand and without hesitation he tossed it upon the snowy ground. Ginta swallowed hard, they were in trouble if it landed on 1. The die rolled around and bounced back and forth on a hard patch of snowy dirt before ultimately landing on... 5. Ginta released the breath he had been holding and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Five? But there's only two of us! How does this work?". The clown swayed to another side before elaborating, "_The gate will close and disappear after one hour... regardless of how many people pass through..._".

"Huh. That so.", Ginta said under his breath, before turning his eyes to Snow, "So, what do you think?". She had a burning fire in her eyes, "Let's go! Everybody is probably waiting! It would be rude to ignore their invitation!", she exclaimed. Ginta sighed, she had a point but... Snow seemed to pick up on his hesitation and replied, "Relax. We're just visiting, right? Besides, we are on break anyway, what better place to spend it?". Ginta thought it over and nodded, his mother probably wouldn't like him disappearing again but if he went back to explain it to her, the hour might expire. Snow grabbed his hand, "This way we should end up in the same spot!", she said as a matter-of-fact.

That was true, the gate was random like that. There was no guarantee you'll end up in the same spot as the person who summoned you, or even that two people who enter simultaneously will end up in the same spot as each other. The only constant Ginta had noticed was that upon returning to Earth, it seemed to always send you back to where you first left, which is why he fell into the classroom when he came back. Which was a definite convenience, because it certainly would've ruined his day if the gate decided to drop him in the Arctic Circle or something. Suddenly Ginta realized something, the first time he went to MÄR Heaven, he fell from the sky. He survived easily due to the gravity difference between worlds but Snow...

No, wait. Snow was in Koyuki's body, or rather they both were as one. This body had never technically been to MÄR Heaven, so even if the gate decides to stick them above a cloud, she should be fine. This also meant she should have the same increased strength that he had there as well. He sighed, even though there wasn't anything to worry about, he was glad his mind was sharp enough to pick up on potential danger like that. A part of his brain had speculated the possibility that they weren't summoning him for a casual visit, but rather because some new threat had appeared they needed him to help defeat. That seemed unlikely, everything was fine when he left... but... everything also seemed fine when he arrived for the first time, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth.

Well, he could keep guessing but they wouldn't know for sure until they went in. The doors swung open and the swirling vortex stood glowing before them. They looked at each other and nodded in confirmation. Hand in hand, they took the leap across dimensions and fell into MÄR Heaven yet again. The doors closed shut behind them, and the gatekeeper swayed around echoing, "_Technically, the way is open for three others... But I doubt anyone will stumble across the gate at this hour.._.". And thus the figure stood there for the remainder of the hour, and as expected, nobody else came through. The figure and the gate both disappeared into thin air, as if they were never there at all. All was as it ever was in the forest.

* * *

Ginta grunted as he hit the ground, the experience was less like a graceful fall and more like the universe grand slammed him against the ground. His hands felt the ground, it was dry soil. That meant he was probably... wait a minute, where was Snow? He looked around, but it was difficult to see anything in the darkness. Then, without warning, she too was spat out of the vortex and landed right on top of him. Surprising nobody, their lips met yet again, and Snow blinked in shock but ultimately took the opportunity to continue kissing him. That proved it, the laws of physics in MÄR Heaven existed solely to get them to kiss. There was a sly cough from behind them, Ginta tore his lips away from hers to look back at whoever made such a noise.

A familiar monkey face snarked, "Uh... are we interrupting something?". Beside him, a even more familiar kendama remarked, "Oho! Good on you, first servant! Now, wash my back!". Ginta gently pushed Snow off of him and jumped to his feet, pointing at Babbo and shouted in the most annoyed tone he could manage, "What!? You summoned me here to wash your back!?". Babbo nodded, "Of course! The monkey here doesn't do it right! I think he's managed to scratch my coating!". Ginta made a fist and shouted, "You know, most people greet each other when they haven't seen each other in a long time, you stupid kendama!". Babbo looked almost insulted, "A gentleman's personal hygiene comes first!".

Ginta's face contorted with frustration, "A gentleman takes care of his own hygiene! Why don't you wash your own damn back!?". Babbo leapt right into Ginta's face and glared at him, "And how do you propose I do that!?", he stated angrily. Their foreheads collided and they glared into each other's eyes. The next thing Ginta noticed was a shovel smacking Babbo away, and Jack declaring, "Alright! Alright! We get it! You missed him!". Babbo grunt and turned his head, or rather... himself away. Snow waved in the background, "Jack-san! How have you been?", she asked cheerily. Jack raised an eyebrow, "... san?", he stated, confused. Ginta shook his head, "You don't need to add that here, Snow", he said, looking back at her.

She hung her head for a moment, "Oh yeah...". Jack shrugged and gestured to his farm, "Well, it may be hard to see now, but I've done pretty well for myself, hehehe". Ginta looked around, it was dark but sure enough there were vegetables growing everywhere, especially up. Looking up, the columns of plants grew what looked like miles high, and for the first time Ginta realized they were standing in just a small clearing in front of the house. All different kinds of plants, many of which Ginta never remembered seeing before. Jack grinned smugly, stroking his hairy chin, "Yep. You are looking at the most successful farm on the whole island", he announced proudly.

Ginta's face was more than a little condescending, "Not to burst your bubble, Jack... But if I recall it's a pretty small island...", he replied dryly. He, Snow and Babbo were now all laughing at Jack's expense. Jack nearly fell over, and with an embarrassed face invited everyone inside the house. Technically, the pair had eaten some time ago, but couldn't refuse the offer for dinner. It had been months since either had eaten MÄR Heaven food. Jack had prepared a noodle vegetable soup. Without hesitation, everyone began talking and catching up with one another. Jack was bit surprised by their news.

"Let me get this straight. You two have been going out for the last seven months? For real? When did this happen?", he asked, eyes wide open. Snow grinned from ear to ear and proudly proclaimed, "About twenty minutes after he got back!". Ginta slumped a little in his chair, for some reason feeling a little embarrassed. Jack's expression grew even more surprised, "Seriously!? Ginta, you sly dog, you!". Babbo finished slurping a noddle and nodded, "That is because my first servant learned from the master...". Jack sighed and pulled on his moustache, "What could he possibly learn from you?". Everyone but Babbo laughed, and continued eating.

Snow took a few bites and said, "Wow, Jack! This is actually pretty good!". Before Jack could create a prideful expression, Ginta added, "Yes, Jack has come a long way since his last soup disaster". Jack pointed a finger at him, shouting, "Oh, one screw up! I'm not such a bad cook!". Ginta rested his head on his hand, "Yeah, yeah. I'll admit this is good. By the way, how are things with Pano?". Babbo took his opportunity, "She left him for the first merchant to walk by!". Jack threw a piece of bread at the kendama, "Shut up, you! Things are great! She and mom are out in town tonight dealing with merchants. We have buyers everywhere!", he said with pride.

Snow took a bite of bread, "That's great! I'm so happy for all of you!". Jack nodded, "Yeah, I haven't seen mom this happy since before dad died. I think she's really proud of me". Ginta gave him a thumbs-up, "I'm sure your dad is proud of you too, Jack". He nodded and leaned back in his chair before asking, "So what are you two planning on doing while you're here?". Ginta pondered this before replying, "I guess we'll pay everyone a visit, do you know where everyone is?". Jack nodded, finishing his meal, "Last I heard, Nanashi returned to Luberia with the rest of his bandits, Alviss and Alan are living in Lestava's capital, without Chess to fight, the Cross Guard has basically become a simply police force. And Dorothy is back home in Caldea".

Ginta nodded, that was about what he had expected. Snow perked up, "Jack. Do you know where Ed is?". Jack scratched his head, responding, "I think he's at the castle. More-or-less an assistant to the King, I assume". She nodded in thanks. After a bit more chatting and dish-washing, Jack pointed them in the direction of an old spare room. "Well, get some rest guys. Hey, but no strange business, okay? This is my mom's house, you know!". Snow quivered her lip, "What? We can't cuddle?", she said, clutching Ginta's arm. Jack blinked in surprise, she was not holding back her affections even a little any more. He stammered, "Well... if that's all it is...".

Snow grinned and nearly tackled Ginta into the room, the door swinging shut behind them. True to their word, no... 'strange business' was had that night. With Snow fast asleep, holding his arm, Ginta stared up at the wooden ceiling. They had quite a week ahead of them, he thought as he slowly drifted to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Having fun writing this. Again, a couple more chapters to go. If you like the fic, or have any comments or criticisms to make, please leave a review.**


	4. Playing Catch-Up

**A/N: Please review. I am literally begging you at this point, let me know how I'm doing. I am in great physiological need of your feedback, and to deny me that after reading this constitutes inhumane torture. So stop not reviewing and start reviewing, immediately.**

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"We should try and find a Gatekeeper Clown sooner than later. We'll need it to get back", said Ginta, the midday sun basking over his face. They had spent the morning continuing their conversation from the night before. Jack shook his head, "No need. I've already taken care of that. While you were gone, I came up with Babbo's eighth version... Gatekeeper Babbo!", he proudly exclaimed. Babbo glared at him, "Don't act so proud, Monkey! It was my idea!". Jack glared back at him, retorting, "You couldn't have done it without my imagination!". Ginta looked back and forth between them, and said, "Oh wow, really? Why didn't I think of that?". It made perfect sense, Babbo wasn't gonna break after each use afterall. "So you can send us back whenever?", asked Snow curiously. Jack nodded.

"Oh, and before I forget, take this!", he said, tossing a ring at Ginta, who caught it instinctively. He examined it closely, it seemed familiar. "Hey, is this-", Ginta began to ask before Jack answered, "Yep. The same andarta we nicked off Puzun way back when. It's set to pretty much anywhere you'd want to go!". The sheer level of convenience this offered could not be understated, and Ginta nodded his thanks. "Where are you off to first, anyway?", asked Jack curiously. Ginta tossed the ring around in his hand for a bit before responding, "I'm thinking we'll head off to Luberia first... It is the closest". Everyone else tilted their heads in confusion at this response. Snow chimed in, "Um... Does it really matter what's closest if we're teleporting there?".

Ginta felt like someone dropped a barbell on his head and awkwardly replied, "... I suppose that's true...". Jack and Babbo began to laugh at his expense, and even Snow let out a soft chuckle. Ginta felt a warm breeze flow from behind him, a breeze heading in the general direction of Luberia. He knew it probably didn't mean anything at all, but for some reason it reassured him of his choice. Ginta ordered the ring to take him and Snow to base of the Thieves Guild in Luberia. And without a moment of hesitation, it obeyed, and the next thing they saw was a familiar large cave entrance.

* * *

"Good on ya, cap *hic*... captain! I alwaysh thought vere wah... was somethin' between ya guyssss!", belched out Nanashi, before chugging his drink once again. Ginta and Snow sat opposite him at a large table that probably took a whole tree to make. It would seem they had arrived just as the guild was celebrating a rather large and difficult heist. Before the young couple arrived, there was nary a sober man in sight. Ginta replied with a completely straight face, "Is that why you started hitting on her when we first met?".

Nanashi's eyes didn't seem to be focusing on anything in particular as he gave his response, "Ginta! *hic* That's all wah... wah... water! Water under teh bridge now! *hic* Sherioushly, I... uhm... I am happy fir ya!". Ginta was kind of at a loss as to how to talk to Nanashi in his current state but nevertheless nodded, "Well, thanks". Nanashi looked around the large cavern before leaning forward and whispering, "Buuuuut, jusht sho ya know, I could nevah do it, ya know...". Ginta gave him a confused look, "Do what?", he asked.

Nanashi peered once more around the crowds of intoxicated, dancing bandits and whispered, "Shettle fir any one girl o'courshe! *hic* I am jusht too easily shwaaayed by teh pretty ladiesh! Buuuut hey! That'sh what makesh you teh captain! *hic* You are a bettah man than I, Ginta!". Ginta was about to respond when he felt Snow's arm lazily hook around his shoulders. She shouted, "Duh! My boyfriend is teh besht!", before going into a giggling fit. Ginta stared at Snow's overly-happy, giggling face before turning his attention to the mug in her free hand.

Apparently she had found a mug and started drinking while Ginta wasn't looking. He knew how this was going to go, first she'd be all sluggish and cutesy and then she'd get hyper and go crazy. She handed him the mug, "Here, Ginta! Have shome! It'll be no *hic*... fun if you're the only one all sherioush...", she managed to say, her head leaning on his shoulder. Ginta looked into the frothy liquid, which was tempting him slightly more than should be ordinary. "Snow... did you forget what this stuff does to us?", he asked as she started to drool on his shirt.

Snow tighten her arm around him and replied, "Oh come on, Ginta! Thish ish a party! We're celebratin' our big heishte!". Ginta raised an eyebrow and stated, "... We didn't steal anything...", to which Snow pressed her face against his. She hummed, "That'sh not true! You shtole my heart, Ginta... *hic* hehe...", as the words left her mouth she started getting all giggly again. Ginta stared at the mug, and then glanced around the drunken bandits singing, dancing and gambling all around the cavern. Heroes shouldn't submit to peer pressure but... being the only sober person in this cave didn't sound like much fun.

He ripped the mug out of her hand and proudly chugged it down to the last drop before slamming it on the table. Snow let out a cheer and started swinging back and forth, as Nanashi took notice and shouted, "That'sh the shpirit captain! Shomeone bring ush shome more! Our gueshts have come aaaaaaaaall the way from anotha' world! *hic* Let'sh sho dem a good time!". There was a roar of applause that echoes throughout the cavern, and in the back of his mind, Ginta wondered what he had just signed up for.

For the next half-hour, they sat at the table drinking... as well as participating in what was probably the most incoherent conversation they had ever had. They started singing to songs that nobody seemed to actually know the words to and Ginta was convinced that he gave Snow a piggyback ride around the cavern at some point as well. However, as Ginta got more drowsy, Snow became more hyper and soon she was running around knocking things over and kicking people in the head. He was also convinced at one point she tried to freeze a guy with an ÄRM she no longer had. The rest of the night was complete blur to Ginta.

The two of them awoke the following morning, apparently having passed out on top of each other underneath a table. After some searching, they managed to find Nanashi, who was fast asleep with a girl under each of his arms and a large mug resting on top of his head. After several failed attempts to awaken him, the pair decided to leave for the time being. Their next stop was Caldea. Ginta wasn't feeling entirely comfortable with it, but knew they'd be better off getting it out of way.

* * *

"Was there a reason you wanted to talk privately with me?", asked the tall witch, walking up and down aisles of shelves, keeping stock of all the ÄRMs in storage. Snow briefly glanced at the floor, feeling a little nervous. She had volunteered to speak with Dorothy alone first, seeing as Ginta was so anxious about it. But she hadn't realized how uncomfortable she herself was in the situation until she walked into it. There probably wasn't any reason to worry but... she couldn't help it.

Snow didn't want to admit it, but it was becoming painfully clear to her just how insecure she was about her relationship. She knew that he loved her but... Snow was still terrified some other girl would snatch him away. Though she didn't have anything against her step-aunt, it was hard to forget that they were competing for his affections not all that long ago. Snow sighed, even though she was nervous she knew this was something that needed to be done. Ginta needed to resolve this anxiety and she would help him do just that... as his one and only girlfriend.

"Two reasons actually... But first I just... have to ask... Are you mad at me? About... you know...", Snow stammered on, as if not able of keeping on train of thought on track. Dorothy seemed completely focused on her task as she responded, "Hm. No, I suppose not. To be honest, I've sort of put it behind me these last few months". Snow raised an eyebrow, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by Dorothy, though she never seemed to actually look at her.

"I should probably explain... I guess what I'm trying to say is that deep down I think I always knew he would choose you and... maybe I tried so hard because I didn't want to accept that. But looking back, it really was quite silly of me", she explained in a tone that was half-sullen and half-disinterested. Snow felt a little ashamed... so Dorothy had gotten over it already, had already moved on. Snow tried to imagine being in her shoes, and suddenly felt very immature.

"I'm kind of impressed... were this situation reversed... I don't know if I would ever get over it, does that make me weak, I wonder?", Snow mumbled almost more to herself than to Dorothy. Nevertheless, she responded, "I don't think so. I think that just proves how much you love him". Snow blushed in surprise, not expecting her to be so up-front about it. Dorothy stopped taking inventory and looked Snow directly in the eyes. "You do love him, don't you?", she asked in a completely serious tone.

Snow felt a tinge of annoyance and defensively stated, "Of course I do! What kind of question is that?". A faint smile appeared on Dorothy's face as she walked towards her and patted her on the head replying, "I never would've admitted this back then... But I can see why he picked you. You're brave and honest, and you have this air about you... that just seems to make everyone around you feel happier somehow... and also...", she paused before continuing. Snow was actually a little excited to hear what she would say next.

Dorothy nearly mumbled her next words, "... You are are really cute, Snow". Snow blushed more intensely, never in a million years did she expect Dorothy to praise her. But somehow it felt good to know there weren't any hard feelings. "Well... I definitely want to be worthy of that praise", Snow said, fidgeting a bit. Dorothy retorted, "Stupid! If you weren't, I would never have said it!". So she was being honest... that made Snow feel a surge of confidence.

"The reason I came to see you alone first is because... Ginta still thinks he's hurt you somehow", Snow admitted, her face slowly returning to normal. Dorothy nodded and noted, "Yeah, that sounds like him...", as she crossed her arms. "But... was this his idea or yours, I wonder?", she asked. Snow answered honestly, "It was mine... I saw how nervous he was and wanted to... test the waters first". Dorothy had an impressed look about her as she spoke, "Awfully considerate of you... I know this must sound strange coming from me but...".

There was a long pause as she formed her next words carefully, "I really do hope you two make each other happy", she said firmly. Snow was a little confused at first, that Dorothy cared about her happiness as well as Ginta's. But this only made her feel even stronger resolve, as she nodded in agreement. Dorothy shrugged and walked towards the door, "We might as well reassure him together then...", she said before Snow stopped her.

"Wait, there was another reason I wanted to see you...", she said quickly, throwing her arm in front of the door. Dorothy looked down, raising an eyebrow responding, "Huh? What is it?". Snow carefully removed her necklace and presented it to Dorothy, stating, "This. Ginta made this for me... since the old Yuki-chan was destroyed...". Dorothy examined it closely, "It looks well-made... but it isn't actually an ÄRM", she noted. Snow nodded before going on.

"That's actually what I was wondering... Is it possible to make it into one? Imbue an ordinary necklace like this with magical power?", Snow asked with hopeful eyes. Dorothy stroked her chain and shook her head, "I don't think so... that's not really how ÄRM production works. They need to be crafted from scratch, you can't really take any old object and make it an ÄRM... Sorry. I could probably find a real replacement if you wanted", she said.

Snow looked down at Yuki-chan before shaking her head, "No thanks. Even if it isn't magical, Ginta made it for me and that makes it much more special", she declared proudly. As she slipped it back around her neck, Dorothy nodded, "I understand", she said empathetically. As they made their way to where Ginta was waiting, Snow couldn't help to push Dorothy's buttons a little. "So... how cute am I really, huh?", she jokingly asked. Dorothy's brows furrowed as she snapped back calmly, "Don't push your luck, little girl".

* * *

Some time later the young couple found themselves standing before the enormous complex that was Lestava Castle. Ginta suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, recalling how he had once stormed this very castle to rescue Snow... rescue her from what had once been her home. He couldn't help but think of the sad little Snow who dreamed of one day finally meeting him after seeing him in her dreams. The poor little girl who lost her mother, the poor little girl who was jealous of her other self... the poor little girl destined to die for an evil scheme. Ginta shook his head, no... he didn't want to think about what would've happened if he had failed. It was too sad to imagine, and besides... it was all over now.

He turned to face her, "You nervous about seeing your dad again?", he asked. Snow nodded, "A little... I'm really not sure what to say... I mean... I'm his daughter, but yet I'm not... I died but yet I didn't... and above all I'm not sure how I tell him I won't be living here anymore", she explained in a sullen tone. Ginta raised an eyebrow at the last bit, inquiring, "So now you don't want to live here?". Snow shrugged and answered, "I don't know... you made some good points before. Maybe Snow's life is over... I should just be Koyuki now".

Ginta swung his arm over her shoulders, "Snow and Koyuki... are just names, you know. Two halves of the same beautiful whole... whatever I call you, every part of you is important. You are Snow, princess of Lestava as well as Koyuki, secondary school student living in Tokyo, and there's nothing wrong with that", he reassured her, gently patting her on the back. Snow blushed a little, he didn't use the word 'beautiful' often and it made her feel a little embarrassed. She wore a small smile as she looked towards the sunset beside the castle walls.

"Ginta... Even if you say that... I can't live two lives anymore. Maybe I've been split so long... that I can't truly be one whole person...", she said solemnly. Ginta pulled her in tighter, "Of course you can! I'll even be your anchor!", he exclaimed. Snow's eyes widened as she spoke, "Anchor?". Ginta nodded, explaining, "I'll anchor your two halves in place. I don't want either side to disappear, it might not always be easy for you to be one person... But I'm here to help you through it". Snow smiled, this is what she loved to hear the most, him talking about being with her forever.

"You'll always be there for me?", she asked, almost chuckling with joy. Ginta scratched his head, replying, "I wouldn't be a very good boyfriend if I wasn't". Snow relaxed her mind and let his words sink in, for these words were precious to her. When he said things like that, she felt a rush of joy beyond description. There was no need to be insecure, he loved her and would be with her forever. The thought was calming yet exciting at the same time. It was then that Ginta did something unexpected, at least at this moment anyway. He pulled Snow in close to hug her, and rested his chin on her shoulder.

Snow blushed as her smile grew wider, usually it was her who initiated the hugs between them. As such, she was always pleasantly surprised when he advanced on her. He held her tightly and stroked and patted her back for a moment before whispering, "You really did a great job making this outfit, you know...". She reached around to hug him back, resting her chin upon his shoulder, replying, "Of course I know, you won't stop telling me... not that I mind". Ginta whispered a question in her ear, "Do you want me to come talk to your dad with you? You don't need to go alone...".

"... I would like that, actually. Thank you", she whispered back as a brief breeze flowed past them. After a moment, the pair headed towards the castle.

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"You needn't worry, Edward here has told me everything that happened all those months ago...", said the King in a very kingly voice, gesturing to the small bipedal dog standing beside his throne. Snow sighed in relief, she really didn't want to have to go into detail about how she had died. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. Ginta stepped up and patted her on the back before he spoke, "Sir, I-I'm sorry to tell you this but... She can't be your heir anymore". The King looked sad, but not particularly surprised as he slowly nodded his head.

"Yes... I had a feeling that would be the case. Am I to understand the girl standing before me is only half my daughter?", he inquired most inquisitively. Ginta nodded, "You see, Snow is only half of a complete soul, which merged with her other half back then... This is technically not the same body you knew before either", he explained. The King sighed and almost slumped in his throne, replying, "I see... I'm disappointed, but somehow I think it was supposed to be like this, even if she isn't the same anymore... I am truly glad she's become whole".

The King got up off of his throne and walked towards Snow, extending a hand and placing it upon her shoulder. "It seems you really don't need me any more. But I want you to know no matter what you do in that other world, your father still loves you", he said solemnly. Snow's eyes were a little moist as she nodded, and the King turned his attention to Ginta, stating, "And I cannot think of anyone more suited to take care of her then the man responsible for saving our entire world... You will make sure she's happy, right?".

Ginta nodded with confidence, "Always", he answered firmly. After that, there was a rather large feast thrown in the honor of their visit, during which Ginta was made to shake the hands of many people he had never met before and probably wouldn't ever see again. This was a fairly awkward evening for Ginta in that regard. While Snow was busy talking to Edward, Ginta was joined by the new Captain of the Cross Guard, Alviss.

"Is there any need for a Cross Guard now that the Chess are gone?", Ginta asked, taking a bite out of... something or other, it really doesn't matter. Alviss nodded, "Even without them, there's always someone making trouble... Bandits, for instance", he said. Ginta raised an eyebrow, "Doesn't that make Nanashi your enemy?", he asked, picturing them fighting in his mind. Alviss seemed amused by this, "I suppose, but he's a whole continent away... Nothing I can do about that", he replied, a smirk appearing across his face.

For a brief moment, Alviss just continued to watch Ginta stuff his face. He then continued. "How is Danna, by the way?". Ginta looked up, he probably should've anticipated that question but somehow the possibility slipped his mind. He formed his thoughts are responded, "Oh, you know... Well enough. In our world it's not easy to get back into the swing of things after being gone for six years but he's... You know, managing". Alviss nodded happily, "Give him my regards, okay? And tell him... I'm still doing all I can to protect MÄR Heaven", he stated boldly.

Ginta gave him a thumbs up in agreement, "I'm sure he'd be glad to hear it", he said assuringly. Alviss turned his head towards Snow and Edward on the other end of the table. "And how is she adjusting?", he asked, gesturing to Snow. "Better than you'd think. She's adaptable like that, she makes the best of whatever situation she's in...", Ginta replied, his gaze drifting over her. Alviss chuckled, "Is that one of the things you love about her, Captain?", he teased.

Ginta's face turned red as he answered, "T-That's N-N-Nothing you need to know about! Anyway, you're the Captain now!". Ginta then briefly paused, somehow distracted by his own words. He asked, "By the way, where is Alan?". Alviss looked almost annoyed as he answered, "Honeymooning...", his face was obscured by his hand at this point. Ginta's expression was a equal mix of flabbergastedness and jovial glee, and he shouted, "Still!?". Alviss hesitantly nodded and hid his face behind his cupped hands in shame.

Honeymooning for seven months... He couldn't believe it. But then a thought crossed his mind that he just couldn't shake, and started once again staring off in Snow's general direction. "Honeymooning... for seven months...", he mumbled before Alviss snapped his fingers right in his face. "Hey! Not you too... Besides, yours would be quite far off, no?", he said, waving his hand in front of Ginta's face. Ginta turned an even deeper shade of red than before and he stammered, "D-Don't t-talk as if I've already married her!".

We now take you to the only other interesting conversation happening in the banquet hall, already in progress. Edward was pointing an accusatory paw at Snow, "Snow-hime! He hasn't done anything dirty to you, has he?", he shouted. Snow blushed and starting fidgeting with her fingers rapidly. "N-No! I mean... Nothing like that yet... But it really isn't any of your business, Ed!", she stammered out, her expression oozing embarrassment with every word. Edward sighed, "I know, I know... Forgive me. I just can't believe you're all on your own on the other side...", he said sorrowfully.

Snow shook her head, "I do have parents over there you know... And Ginta. I'm not alone, Ed...". Edward still looked a bit down as he spoke, "How are you over there? Is there enough to eat? What about the people, are the people friendly?", he began to speak more rapidly as it went on. Snow waved her hands in the air frantically, "Ed! Everything is fine! It's nothing new, I've lived there my whole life there! Well, part of me has anyway!", she reassured him. Edward seemed to calm down a bit, "That's right... You are also Koyuki-dono... Hm...", he muttered.

"I know you're worried, Ed... But I'm perfectly fine, really!", she said, patting him on the hat. Edward nodded and pushed up his glasses, "Okay, okay... But promise you'll keep visiting when you can!", he demanded with his paws held together. Snow smiled, "Of course we will! Don't you even worry!", she said happily. He nodded excitedly, "Eh... I would pinkie-promise but I... Eh, have no pinkie...", he said, to which Snow started gleefully chuckling. The rest of the evening played out and before they knew it, the young couple found themselves fast asleep once again... This time on an actual bed.

Ginta knew they couldn't stay much longer, but something wasn't feeling right to him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was definitely there... Huh... Maybe they could talk about it tomorrow...

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**A/N: The final chapter is coming soon. PLEASE REVIEW. Btw, the drunken dialogue is styled after how drunken text appears in World of Warcraft on purpose. It's a reference, get over it.**


	5. This Is Your Happy Ending

**A/N: Well, this is the final chapter. My tribute to the first pairing I ever shipped way back when. What you may not have noticed is how I kind of styled the fic after VN routes. As if this is "Snow's Ending"... so to speak. Weird, I know but I've been playing a lot of VNs lately so that's just how it is. I was actually briefly considering writing an Eroge scene for this fic actually, but ultimately decided against it. So if you wanted one... too bad. Anyway, please remember to review... seriously... I mean it... REVIEW!**

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Ginta had found a nice spot to himself, a lone tree upon a tall cliff overlooking the castle below. It is here he sat, arms folded behind his head as he laid back onto the tree, which curved in just the right way to be comfortable for his back. His eyes weren't focusing on anything as a breeze ran through his golden spikes. He had been sitting here for the last twenty minutes, or so he thought anyway, not that he had a clock. In this tranquil state, he didn't even notice Snow sneak up around the tree behind him.

"Hey, whatcha thinking about, hm?", she hummed as she stood over him, leaning against the hard oak... or cedar or elm or whatever. Ginta didn't even open his eyes as he spoke, "You really wanna know? I'm thinking about when you died...", he said solemnly. Snow sighed, her own death wasn't something she wanted to remember, even if it was ultimately for the better. "Are you still feeling guilty? Ginta... It's okay, there wasn't time and you were in shock...", she said soothingly.

Ginta slowly opened his eyes and stared blankly into the sky, which was mostly cloudy with the occasional ray of light shining through. He stated, "I still feel bad about it... you could have died not knowing I loved you back... that image of you burning away in my arms in stuck in my head...". Snow briefly closed her eyes for a moment, on the cusp of an idea... and then it came to her. She bent down and laid herself sideways across his legs, saying, "How about we burn a new image in that head of yours?".

Ginta looked down at her in mild bemusement, "Huh? What do you mean?", he asked. She smiled and took his hand and pulled it underneath her head, replying, "I don't want you to remember something sad like that, hold me just like you did back then... let's replace a bad memory with a happy one". Ginta did just as she had said, and held her in his arms the same way as before. Snow wore a peaceful, happy expression that directly contrasted the pained and sorrowful look he remembered.

"How's this? I want you to remember this moment, I'll stay like this until you forget that sad old image for good", she chirped calmly, her hair swaying with the low breeze. For some time they remained in this position, looking into one another's eyes as the afternoon rolled by. Ginta felt as though he was painting the image of her smiling face on the canvas of his mind, directly overlapping the old painful memory of her death. It wasn't long before he could barely recall it at all, and her new happy expression was all he could see.

"Thank you...", he muttered, finally breaking the long silence between them. Snow nodded and sat up and placed herself in his lap, laying into him comfortably, responding, "Any time you need it, just ask". Her back pressed up against him, and Ginta suddenly felt a little embarrassed but yet... strangely comfortable at the same time. "Do you mind if I take off your bow for now? It's kinda blocking my view...", he asked politely. Snow hummed in consent and Ginta carefully removed the large bow and gently shoved it into his pocket.

After several minutes of this, Ginta spoke, "I know what I said but... are you sure you've made up your mind about us living back on Earth?". Snow slowly rocked her head back and forth for a moment before responding, "Both worlds feel like home to me... it's really not possible for me to choose myself. I'll live wherever you are, Ginta... if I'm with you, I'm happy either way". Ginta nodded and thought some things over for a bit.

Ginta had not been this comfortable in quite some time, in this peaceful spot with Snow's warm body pressing against his. He inexplicably felt to urge to do something... it just felt like the right moment to do... something. He reached around her and slowly pulled up her jacket, revealing her bare, flat stomach. Snow seemed a bit confused by this but did not stop him, but then, without warning, he began to tickle her midsection.

Snow's knees bent inward and she started softly giggling uncontrollably. "Giiiiiiiinta!", she nearly shouted as she began to slouch into him. Ginta leaned in closer and turned his head to one side in order to gently lick her ear. Snow began to blush intensely and starting squirming in his lap, this was the first time he had ever been so forward with her. In some time, he started to lightly nibble at her ear and tickle her harder. This only made her squirm and fidget around more.

The minutes passed and soon Ginta found himself licking up her other ear and rubbing her sides gently. After a few more minutes, he stopped and rested her hands around her tummy, leaning back into the tree. Snow stopped giggling and took a deep breath before she said, "Wow... i-it's a good thing Ed wasn't here to see that...". Ginta chuckled, "The worst he can do is shout at me, besides... he told me to make sure you were happy", he said calmly as rested his chin on her head.

Snow chuckled, replying, "Well, I'm certainly happy now... though you might give me a little warning next time". Ginta shook his head, "It's not the same if you know it's coming", he said, holding her tighter. That was true, tickling someone creates a panic response within the body, if they know it's coming, the response isn't as strong. Ginta laid his face against the crown of her head, casually noting, "I've always liked your hair, you know... it's thick but soft".

Snow closed her eyes, enjoying the moment. "I'm probably going to keep it short, what do you think?", she muttered softly. Ginta didn't even hesitate in his response, "I agree. That sounds best". The moment passes peacefully, and Ginta could feel her chest expanding and retracting as she breathed in and out slowly on top of him. He briefly wondered if she could feel his chest doing the same behind her. "Ginta... Can I see your ponytail?", she nearly mumbled, as if half-asleep.

Ginta reached back and pulled his ponytail out from behind him and let it fall onto his shoulder, "Eh, sure". Snow reached back behind her and gently stroked it up and down, slower and slower each successive time. "Your hair is much lighter and thinner than mine", she mumbled, starting to twist and curl the hair around her fingers. This went on for awhile, the two of them laying under the shade of the non-descript tree, eyes closed as the breeze continued to blow by them.

"You still seem a little upset, what's wrong?", Snow asked intuitively, she had gotten better at telling when something was bothering him in the past few months. Ginta sighed, "I don't know... It's just... everyone has moved on so fast. I know they were happy to see us but it just seems like... we've all gone our separate ways", he admitted in a rather depressed tone. Snow nodded in sympathetic agreement, "Ginta... Team MÄR wasn't going to last forever. We all came together to beat the Chess, and now that they're gone... there isn't much holding us all together", she explained.

Ginta sighed deeper, he knew what she was saying was true but for some reason he couldn't shake this strange empty feeling. "I should be happier... this peace... this happiness is only possible because of all the things we did. But in my heart it's just hard to accept that the adventure is really over...", he went on in a somber voice. A faint smile appeared on Snow's face, "Yep. The adventure is over and peace returned to the land, this is your... No, this is our happy ending, the one we worked so hard for... Don't you like it, Ginta?", she asked sincerely.

The happy ending... that's what this was. "Of course I do. It's just hard to adjust to living a normal life again", he said. Snow curled into his chest and snuggled up against him, "You better like this ending, you even got the princess after all", she stated jovially. Ginta's eyes briefly went wide, and he suddenly had a little moment of clarity. "Yeah... you've always been my princess...", he muttered more to himself than to Snow, but she heard him nonetheless. "Hm?", she whispered inquisitively, a little confused by his meaning.

"Do you remember the dream I kept telling you about? Before any of this, I mean... The one where I saved a princess with the Holy Sword Thunderforce?", he inquired, looking down at her. She nodded, "Mhmm, I remember. The one who was a hundred times cuter than me, right?", she said, almost pouting at the thought. Ginta felt quite embarrassed, but felt that he needed to come clean at this point. "A-actually... I lied. The princess in my dream was actually you, you see... I mean, you didn't have a bow but it was definitely you", he confessed with a red face.

Snow's eyes widened and a mischievous grin grew where a faint smile once was. "That so? Hm... Why did you lie to me, I wonder?", she teased him. Ginta had a feeling she'd do this but it was best to be honest now, "Because... I was embarrassed. I guess... I kinda sorta had a thing for you even back then...", he admitted, his face bright, burning red now. Embarrassment must be contagious because Snow started blushing as well as she spoke, "Really!? Because... I-I sorta liked you back then too...".

"We were each other's only real friends and... I really loved that. It's... hard to admit but... my heart is selfish, Ginta. I wanted you all to myself... I needed to have you all to myself. I even told myself that I would confess to you before we graduated, no matter what... even if I was scared you only thought of me as a friend...", she admitted, her blush growing more intense and her fidgeting more squirmy. Ginta was really surprised, he never knew Koyuki felt that way even back then... And all the kids who taunted them with kissy noises were suddenly vindicated.

"Everyone always teased us, even my dad teased me about you back then... I guess they were right", he muttered, wrapping his arms around her. Snow went on, "Yeah... I tried to hide it, but I really did like you... a lot...", her voice was soft, but earnest. Ginta stroked her hair, "Mom told me how you came by everyday... I am sorry I worried you", he apologized calmly. She chuckled, "It's funny... I have memories of worrying about you, and memories of being right by your side at the same time... it's all so confusing...", she said, trying to make light of it, but it was clear this soul merge wasn't easy for her to adjust to.

She sighed, "I don't think this will ever be easy... sometimes my head starts aching if I start putting the pieces together, like there isn't enough room in my head for two complete sets of memories...". Ginta nodded and patted her head, "That's why I'm here. I'll get your story straight". Snow cuddled into his chest some more and hummed in agreement, that's right, he would be her anchor. The thing that held Koyuki and Snow together... was that they had both loved Ginta. Both as the friend she'd known all along, and as the boy she had dreamed of since she was born.

"You know Ginta... life is an adventure no matter what world you live in. And the adventure that is the rest of our lives is waiting for us back on Earth... it might not be as fantastic as MÄR Heaven, but it'll be exciting nonetheless", Snow rambled on as she snuggled against his chest. Ginta smiled, she was right... he had gotten his wish, he'd gotten the fantasy adventure he'd always dreamed of, and while he would never forget all the things that happened here, it was time to move on. "I can't wait to go on that adventure with you, Snow...", he whispered into her ear, holding her in his arms as the wind began to blow harder.

The following day, they had Jack return them to Earth but asked to be brought back every year around that time. Though they chose to ultimately live out their lives together on Earth, they would never forget the friends they had made here. Though they all went their separate ways, there was still a lingering bond of camaraderie between them. Even if the team was worlds apart, they would always be friends and allies. It was hard not to grow attached to people who helped you save the world.

It's hard to picture heroes in stories living normal lives, because all we ever hear about his their amazing adventures. But when the evil is defeated, the world saved and peace restored... what does the hero do? All those tales seem to end on 'and they lived happily ever after'... but you never really get to see that part. You just assume they went on to enjoy the peace they've created, that they live much the same way you might. Just taking things one day at a time, overcoming obstacles and enjoying all the fun things life has to offer.

Indeed, the adventure wasn't really over... it's just that a new chapter was about to begin.

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**A/N: So... remember how I said this is the final chapter? Well... JUST KIDDING! Haha! Although this is the final chapter of what can be considered my "Epilogue" to the anime, it turns out I actually have a lot more ideas for fluffy situations for this pairing that I really don't want to go to waste! I could start a new fic to post them, but nah! So from here on out, I will write various, random romantic fluff between this young couple. Chapters will be uploaded more sporadically at this point and probably not as long either. So look forward to seeing their relationship develop a little bit more at a time on Earth. Until then, I hope you all have fun this summer!**

**Oh yeah... and don't forget to REVIEW!**


	6. Just An Ordinary Day

**A/N: Just an ordinary day in their new life together. This chapter is pretty much 120% fluff.**

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The school roof... it was such an odd place. Everyone seems to want to go there, but yet there only ever seems to be one person or couple up there at any one time. Clearly there was some sort of time magic going on here. How could it be a such a popular hotspot and yet always be empty at the same time? The world may never know... but it was here that Koyuki sat clinging to her boyfriend's arm. "Koyuki, I get that you're afraid of heights but... we're nearly three meters from the edge... and there's a fence...", Ginta said, gesturing to the fence lined along the edge of the roof. This was another strange thing about her, Koyuki had never been afraid of heights before, but Snow had been. When they merged, the composite being inherited this fear.

"Just don't let me go, okay? And quit stalling! Eat the cake I made for you!", Koyuki urged him. Ginta looked down at the cake in his lap, he'd deny it but he was trying to stall for time. She had been making these cakes for him for years now, and of all the amazing things about Koyuki... her cooking was not one of them. Cautiously, he took a bite of her latest concoction... it was strange. It wasn't terrible but it wasn't really good either.. it just felt... off, somehow. It felt a little too dry, a little too hard, it didn't taste sweet enough... Ginta wanted to say these things but Koyuki was staring at him with hopeful eyes. He blushed, she had leaned in real close and her bright eyes just captured his gaze.

"Egh, well... I'll say this, you are improving... little by little", he said, trying to sound reassuring. Koyuki sighed, but quickly made a fist with her free hand, and proclaimed, "Oh well... I guess I'll need to try even harder next time! I'll get this yet!". Her eyes burned with a fiery passion, as if she was fueled by the stars themselves. If nothing else, Ginta had to admire her perseverance, whether it was battling the Chess Pieces or learning how to bake, she never gave up. "Why are you so determined to bake me cakes? I don't really care if you can cook or not...", he stated, trying to understand where her burning drive was coming from.

Koyuki could only smile, responding, "It's fun! And... I want to make you happy... I can't wait to see your delighted face when I finally make something truly delicious! I want to make you smile every day!". Ginta stared into her fiercely determined eyes and was reminded just how in love with this girl he was. She was so thoughtful, and she put every ounce of her being into whatever she was doing and always strived to make people smile. "I'm looking forward to it, Koyuki", he said honestly, through an unintentionally wide grin. She took notice of this, "Oh! You look really excited... that's good", she said, almost mumbling to herself.

She rubbed up against his shoulder and started chanting, "I have you aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall to myself up here... You can't stare at any other girls now". Ginta sharply turned to face her in confusion, "Huh? When have I done that?", he asked aloud in utter blasphemy. Koyuki pouted as she replied, "I saw you staring at Misani-san in class earlier, don't hide it". This... this was an accusation! Ginta puffed out his chest, he needed to defend his honor! "She's wearing her hair like a pinwheel! Everyone was looking at her! It was very distracting!", he proclaimed, and finished with a heavy sigh.

Koyuki blushed a little from embarrassment... right, her hair... that made sense. "Okay... if that's what it was...", she said, hanging her head in embarrassment, she continued to mutter, "But I feel really uncomfortable when you look at other girls, Ginta...". Ginta pulled her in closer with the arm that had been slung around her shoulders. He leaned his head down on her shoulder and slumped lower to the floor, stating, "Koyuki, you know what's strange? Ever since we started going out, I've slowly lost all interest in other girls...". She perked up at that, "Really?", she wondered aloud in a hopeful tone.

He nodded, "Yeah... lately the only girl I want to see more of is you, Koyuki", he concluded. Part of it was just telling Koyuki what she wanted to hear, but he was also being honest. Koyuki blushed intensely at the thought of him seeing 'more of her', "T-that's-s g-good... if you ever... cheated on me... I would have to do something terrible to you...", she stated aloud. Ginta gulped hard... he would never do such a thing but... what kind of horrible thing would she do to him? "Ehehe... I would never even think of doing that, but just out of curiosity... what would you do to me?", he asked, almost jokingly but also a tad bit afraid.

Koyuki glanced up at him with a dead serious look in her eyes, "I would freeze you from the neck down and force you to apologize to me for a whole year...", she declared in an absolutely chilling tone of voice. Ginta was half scared and half confused as he spoke, "Damn... good thing I would never do that... but wait... how would you freeze me anyway?". Koyuki smirked and reached down to pull something out of her bag. Ginta sat nearly frozen solid already, and she hadn't even done anything. She pulled out a short metal piece of jewelry... a very familiar piece of jewelry...

"Gah! T-that's...", Ginta exclaimed, shocked and confused. Koyuki's smirk grew even wider, "Yep. Nature ÄRMs, I've got most of my old ones in here", she stated proudly, patting her bag like it was a pet. Ginta's eyebrow could not have raised faster as he shot back, "B-but how d-did you?". Koyuki happily twirled the ÄRM around her finger, "Ed was reeeeeally worried about me over here, so he gave me these so I could 'protect myself'...", she explained with an extremely cheeky grin. Grrr... that damned dog... wait, why was he angry? He was never going to cheat on her! But then something occurred to Ginta that make his face grow into a mischievous grin that could give the cheshire cat a run for his money.

"But... you know, some of the girls in our class are reeeeeeal cute...", he began to lie in a smooth voice. Koyuki's grin was instantaneously replaced with a wide open jaw of exasperation, and she replied, "Whaaaaaaaaaaaat!? Ginta!", in the most panicked tone of voice imaginable. He went on, "Oh yeah, totally... there's Haruka-san and Chie-san...", as he kept talking, Koyuki's face grew redder and redder with rage. "...Oh, and especially Aishizu-san...", he added to his continuing lie. That was it, that did it, Koyuki jumped to her feet and pointed the ÄRM right at Ginta and shouted, "Iced Earth!".

Ginta crossed his arms and closed his eyes, the mischievous grin never leaving his face. And... nothing happened, just as he predicted. Koyuki was shocked and confused and tapped on the ÄRM, "Huh? What's wrong? Is it broken?", she mumbled to herself. Ginta chucked and then burst out laughing, "Silly! I know why it won't work... Snow, your original body could've done it easily, but Koyuki's body has never been trained to use magical power like that", he explained. Koyuki's eyes widened and she suddenly felt really stupid, "So... you mean... these ÄRMs are useless to me?", she asked softly.

He nodded, "Yep. Totally useless, but don't worry... I was just kidding around with you, I don't find any other girls in class cute at all", he said. Koyuki's eyes were getting moist as she threw the ÄRM in Ginta's general direction. "Ginta, you jerk! Don't joke about that! I was really scared, my heart even stopped beating!", she yelled at him. Ginta suddenly felt really bad, he didn't think she'd get this upset over his little joke. He reached over to pick up the ÄRM and got up to hand it back to her, "I'm sorry... I won't joke like that again". Her eyes wavered around for a brief moment before she took the magical weapon back and shoved it back in her bag.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes, "You really are the best girlfriend, Koyuki...", he stated honestly. She looked deep into his eyes as he continued, "You're always thinking of ways we can have fun together, you work so hard to make me happy, and you cheer me up just by being around... You are the best girlfriend I could ever have". The redness in her face changed, no longer an angry red, but an embarrassed red. She tried to resist smiling from ear to ear but it was a futile effort. "Oh... I don't know about that...", she muttered bashfully. Ginta shook his head, "No. I mean it, I'm so glad I have you", he pulled her in to hug her.

She hesitated for a moment, but gave in and returned the gesture. "It's n-nothing... I j-just do what comes naturally...", she mumbled, her face growing more luminescent by the minute. The chilly January wind blew past them, as it often did, but the pair's embrace was too warm for them to notice. "You really are amazing, you make me wish I was a better boyfriend... one who wouldn't pull mean tricks on you like that...", Ginta lamented with a heavy sigh, which Koyuki felt as his warm breath running along her neck. She shook her head gently, "It's alright, I forgive you... but I do have to ask, why did you tease me like that?", she inquired softly.

Ginta hesitated before he spoke, "Um... well, I-I guess it's b-because... when you get all jealous like that, it makes you irresistibly cute", he hugged her tighter as he finished speaking. Koyuki's eyes widened and she replied, "...Ginta? Y-you... really get turned on by my possessiveness?". Ginta's face was starting to resemble a bloodstained tomato as he answered, "Y-yeah... I g-guess you could say that...". Koyuki smiled faintly, her mischievous brain had just formulated an idea. "Ginta, could you close your eyes for a moment?", she asked sweetly and politely. He nodded and shut his eyes tight and released her from the embrace.

Koyuki reached into her bag and pulled out something she always had on hand, an iconic pink bow. She fastened it on her head and told Ginta to open his eyes as she stood before him. "_Ginta... I really don't want you thinking about other girls..._", Snow said in a sweet, yet stern tone of voice. Her eyes stared right into Ginta's very soul, his hands started to shake and he could feel sweat running down his neck. Snow took a step closer towards him, whispering sharply, "_All you need is me right, Ginta?_". He was trembling now, the words, the bow... it was a winning combo alright.

She moved closer, standing right in front of him and she stared up into his eyes as he stared down into hers. Her lips slowly formed the words, "_I am the only girl in the world to you, Ginta_". He was mesmerized by her eyes, he leaned in to kiss her but she threw her finger in between their lips, "_Say it first_", she commanded. He gulped and replied, "I love you, Snow... you're the only girl that matters to me", there was sincerity in his voice. Snow removed her finger and kissed him briefly. She pulled away and grinned, "How was that? Did that excite you?", she asked cheerfully. He was stunned speechless, and even if he could talk, he wouldn't know where to start.

Before he could say anything, Snow spoke up, "Actually... I was wondering, am I the only girl you've kissed?". Ginta's chest hurt a bit, it was a piercing question and one with an answer she wouldn't want to hear. "No... Dorothy kissed me once... before I came back that is", he answered solemnly. It had been short, and he hadn't wanted it... it shamed him then and it continued to shame him now. "That witch...", Snow muttered frustratingly to herself, probably not intending for Ginta to hear, but he did anyway. He spoke up, "But if it makes you feel better, she's a terrible kisser... like a dog slobbering", he was exaggerating a little... just a little... but he didn't want Snow to be upset.

She didn't say anything, she just sharply twirled around and tackle-hugged Ginta down to the floor, pushing him up against the wall. "I'm going to make you forget her lips forever", she happily mumbled as she leaned in closer. "But I don't even remem-", Ginta started to say before getting cut-off by her lips forcing themselves upon his. She kissed him until break was over, and afterwards as he headed back to class, Ginta couldn't help but smile... just an ordinary day with his girlfriend.

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**A/N: Snow is so cute when she's jealous and all possessive of him. Being possessive and clingy is usually looked down upon, but she doesn't take it that far and Ginta doesn't seem to mind. More short fluffy chapters to come, stay tuned. And as always, REVIEW. Even if you just want to give me a thumbs-up or thumbs-down or whatever, please give me some feedback.**


	7. Immune To The Westermarck Effect

**A/N: Another fluffilicious chapter awaits you. I want to thank the anonymous guest who left a review with suggestions for me. I appreciate that. The first suggestion I'll take into consideration, but the second... I don't like. It'd be hard to justify in this set-up. There's really no point in training anymore, there's nothing to fight and it would clash with the "adventure is over" theme I've established. And also, Koyuki doesn't WANT to freeze Ginta, she'd never want to do anything like that. But I thank you for the review, and remember everyone else... REVIEW!**

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Ginta walked along the increasing familiar path to Koyuki's place. The sky above was a thick blanket of clouds that wrapped snugly around the city, snowflakes slowly descending towards the ground. The whisper of the gentle breeze and crunching snow beneath his boots were analogous to a sweet melody that so perfectly captured the essence of the season. Koyuki wasn't at school today, so he decided to check up on her. His scarf billowed in the breeze as he looked up to the sky and wondered what everyone in MÄR Heaven was up to right then.

Was it winter there too? A thought occurred to him, what would Jack do in the winter? Were there any plants that would grow in the cold? If there were, Ginta was sure Jack would know better than anyone. He smirked, he shouldn't worry. Jack had been a farmer his whole life, he must have some plan for dealing with the winter. Thoughts of that world ceased as Ginta approached the door. He reach up and knocked several times, and stood there waiting patiently.

He heard some incomprehensible mumbling come from behind the door, which at the very least told him that someone was indeed home. It was almost two whole minutes before the door slowly swung open, revealing a very tired-looking Koyuki. Her face was reddened, her eyes lazy and glazed over and a tiny thermometer was sticking out of the corner of her mouth like it was a lollipop or something. Her hair was even messier than usual, and one strand in particular stood almost straight up. She was still in her pajamas, which was a plain button-up long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants, all colored a dark green.

The sleeves were a little long and the whole outfit looked just slightly too big for her. Ginta blushed, she was obviously not feeling well and he genuinely felt sorry for her but... she looked kinda cute like this. "Huh? Ginta!", she exclaimed... as much as she could in her current state anyway. It kind of sounded like constrained surprise behind a layer of tiredness. Ginta held his arm behind his head, "Sorry for dropping by unannounced, I was just wondering if you were okay", he said.

"Oh no, it's fine. I'm actually glad you're here, it's been so lonely today...", she said, almost mumbling and coughing a bit at the end. Ginta peered inside the building, "Your parents aren't around?", he asked. She slowly nodded, "They're both working, come in...", she said, leading him inside. He closed the door behind him, and he noticed all the lights were off. Probably for the best, germs multiply faster in the light. Ginta took off and hung up his coat and scarf on the rack.

They entered her room and Koyuki slumped back under her covers. Ginta looked around, he had been here once or twice before but never took a good look. It was neat, or at least neater than his own room at any rate. In fact it was so neat it almost felt a bit empty, various manga and books were on two shelves on either side of the room and there was a small TV towards the far wall. And a small desk across from the bed, which was probably the only messy part of the room, various papers and books piled about.

"Do you need anything?", he asked politely, his hands in his pockets. She nodded, "I need you to stay here and keep me company...", she muttered in the cutest voice she could manage. Ginta smiled, "Anything more specific? Do you want me to make you something?", he offered. She thought about it for a moment before answering, "Yeah, sure... there's stuff in the kitchen... I want something warm", and with that she coughed and closed her eyes. Ginta nodded and headed to the kitchen... no wait, that's a bathroom... where was the kitchen? Oh, there it was. He reached out and cracked his knuckles, time to get started.

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Koyuki had switched on the TV, but was not really watching however. She just wanted some ambient noise to fill the room, as she rested beneath the covers of her bed. She felt burning hot on the outside but freezing cold on the inside, like a microwaved potato. She didn't really like the idea of being all sweaty around Ginta but knew that nothing could be done about it. Oh well, they were together now, they'd have to get used to being sweaty around each other sooner or later...! Koyuki suddenly blushed, although the visible change was nearly unnoticeable given her already quite red face. Her mind had just gone somewhere particularly risqué, and she couldn't shake the thought.

Surely it was too early to be thinking about that sort of... activity. But... someday they would take that plunge, it was only a matter of time really. She touched her lips briefly and sighed, and to think almost a year ago she was embarrassed to have had her first kiss with him. Well, as Snow anyway but that made no difference now. She felt a rush of nervous excitement... she had been his first kiss and someday she would lose her virginity to him as well. It must be the fever... she thought, because her mind didn't usually go this far. But... the thought was somehow warming up her insides, so maybe it was a good thing?

Speaking of things which would warm her up, Ginta re-entered the room holding a steaming bowl. "All you had that I knew how to make was ramen, hope that's okay", he said, pulling out the chair from the desk and sitting beside her. She turned herself face up and replied, "Feed me", as she hung her mouth wide open. Ginta looked at her and then back to the bowl and then back to her and then back to the bowl and then back to her, "That might get... messy...", he said with an anxious look on his face. She sat up and snatched the bowl from him, "Fine. Was worth a shot...", she muttered as she stuffed noodles in her mouth.

Ginta's attention turned to the TV at the end of the room. It was a news program about the continuing reconstruction efforts... reconstruction from all the damage the Orb had inflicted on the city. "So... they're still rebuilding...", he stated solemnly. Koyuki glanced at him and then to the TV and back to him, replying, "Yeah, the worst areas are all closed off so we don't see them much but...", she stopped. She didn't really know what to say at that point... damage was caused, people had died. Ginta had a sullen look about him, and Koyuki didn't like that.

"Hey! Don't be like that... you stopped the Orb before it caused even more damage! You saved everyone...", she said as cheerfully as she could manage before breaking out in a cough. Ginta glanced at her, remarking, "No... we stopped it. I couldn't have done anything without the stone you sent me". Koyuki's eyes widened, she had never thought of it that way before. When the two halves merged, it allowed Ginta to use the magic stone that had been sealed inside Snow's soul since she was born.

Sometimes she had forgotten how they had saved two worlds. Life was so much more simple now, and all the bad things that happened seemed so far away. She felt a little selfish right then, when she fused, she had done it primarily so she could be one and whole and be with Ginta... she had barely thought of how she was also saving the world. But... they had done it together... looking at Ginta's depressed face, she decided it was high time for some subject changing.

She fidgeted in bit as she slurped some more noodles. "You know... it really is a miracle...", she began to say. Ginta perked up out of curiosity, "What, that we defeated the Orb and saved everyone?", he responded blankly. Koyuki shook her head, "No, our love, silly!", she proclaimed in a still very tired-sounding voice. Ginta blushed, she was putting it so bluntly again. Koyuki glanced towards the window, despite the fact that the blinds were shut and said, "Ginta... have you ever heard of the Westermarck Effect?", she asked softly.

He shook his head, "The name sounds familiar but I can't say I know what it is", he stated. She smiled briefly and continuing after a cough, "It's a psychological thing... a form of reverse sexual imprinting. Kids who know each other when they're very young tend not to fall in love with one another because their brains interpret their relationship as more a sibling one", she explained calmly. Ginta tilted his head a bit, "Huh, that doesn't sound fair...", he remarked. She nodded and went on, "For the longest time I was really worried that you couldn't feel the same way about me... I've heard really sad stories of people who had unrequited crushes because of it...", she said sadly.

"Koyuki... when exactly did you get a crush on me anyway?", he asked. Koyuki hesitated to answer, because she didn't really know herself... it just felt like it had always been there. "Well... I mean... I-I've always liked you but... I think I really started getting these feelings when I was... maybe nine or so...", she stammered awkwardly. Ginta nodded, replying, "Huh, all the way back then... huh... I don't think I started really liking you until maybe two and a half years ago... but even then I wasn't quite sure what I felt for a long time after that... I don't think I ever thought of you as a sister though...".

She smiled, "You see? It's pretty rare for even one person to not be affected by it, so it's a kind of miracle we both love each other!", she exclaimed. Ginta blushed, it was true in a sense but... he still got bashful whenever she was so... forward about it. Love between childhood friends... was there anything more adorable in this world? Or the other, for that matter? Koyuki continued eating the ramen, seemingly a little on the fast side as if she was worried it'd get cold. Ginta just continued to watch her devour the contents of the bowl... there was something cute about even this mundane act.

Indeed it would seem almost everything she did was cute in his eyes. Ever since they started dating... no, even before that. Ever since... ever since they shared that accidental first kiss... he had started to see her differently than he had before. A thought occurred to him... if it wasn't for his adventure in MÄR Heaven, if it wasn't for meeting Snow... would he and Koyuki have ever realized how they felt about each other? Well, logically speaking... if Ginta never went to the other world, the Chess would've won, Snow and Koyuki would be dead and both worlds destroyed. But just assuming all of that wasn't the case... even going as far to suggest if MÄR Heaven itself didn't exist and Koyuki had been one whole being to start with... would they have ended up together?

Could it be that his adventure was some sort of catalyst? By going through that ordeal together, were they able to obtain a better understanding for their feelings? Could it be that this märchen... awakened the... romance between them? Huh... go figure. As Koyuki finished off the bowl, she turned her head towards him and just... gave him a warm smile. Their gaze met for quite some time, longer than most people would be comfortable with. Not that he was feeling uncomfortable or anything, honestly he could stare at her for awhile longer but he felt the need to break the silence, "Um... What's up?", he asked.

"Well, I'm worried if I hug you or something you'd get sick too. So I'm expressing my gratitude this way", she explained cheerfully. Oh... that made sense... Ginta took the empty bowl and placed it on the desk behind him. He reached out and felt her forehead, she was pretty hot still. "Have you taken anything for it?", he asked her, pulling his hand back. She nodded, "...I took some medicine this morning", she whispered back to him, slumping into the bed once again. Without provocation, Koyuki started giggling.

"Hm? That's so funny?", Ginta asked in the midst of newfound confusion. She looked up at him, "This is a nice step-up from last time, Ginta", she said proudly. He raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? What are you talking about, Koyuki?", he inquired. She lifted her hand and pointed to the starboard shelf, "I think it's between volumes seven and eight on the top shelf, you'll see", she stated in a mischievous manner. Okay, now he had to know just what she was going on about. He got up and checked the area she had directed him to and noticed a thin piece of paper protruding in-between the specified volumes of some manga.

He pulled it out and looked it over, his eyes widening. It was a folded piece of cardboard paper... a card... a "Get Well Soon" card to be exact, and it was one Ginta immediately recognized. "Koyuki... I-I... I made you this card... but...", he started before she cut him off, "Yep. Back in grade school, I caught a bad infection and you made me that", she explained proudly. Ginta's chest suddenly felt very light, "Koyuki, you kept this card all this time?", he asked, looking her right in the eyes.

She blushed, not that he could notice, "W-well... I was r-really t-touched when you sent me that, Ginta... nobody else ever did anything like that, and every time I've felt sad or sick since then, I-I would always look at that card", she went on, getting more bashful with every word. Incredible, this card meant that much to her... "That might sound silly of me, but it's always calmed me down to know you cared about me... Even now I can't stop... I'm... I'm obsessed w-with y-you Ginta...", she confessed. Ginta looked at her as if she was the only thing in the world, listening closely to every word she said.

"I can't stop thinking about you, Ginta... I mean, more than a normal girlfriend would, I think... sometimes I worry that one day I'm going to push you away with my... possessiveness, and... I try to hold it back but... you'll let me know if I'm being too clingy or overbearing, right?", she asked aloud, intermittent coughs sprinkling her words. Ginta looked at the card in his hand and slid it back in it's place, his mouth forming a wide grin. He glanced at Koyuki and gave her a big thumbs up.

"Koyuki. Don't you even worry about that, it's all good!", he proclaimed with high energy. She was a little startled, but settled down quickly... yeah, he would say that. He really didn't mind it at all but... "Even so... you'll let me know if I'm out of line, okay?", she said nervously. Ginta nodded and walked back over to sit beside her. For a moment he was struggling to think of something he could do, but he came up with something, "Do you want a towel?", he asked. She felt her own forehead and nodded.

He got up and walked off, searching the home for any washcloths he could use. As he continued to look, he noticed Koyuki's school bag on the table in the kitchen... a school bag full of ÄRMs. ÄRMs that would be useless to anyone on Earth... except Ginta, in the hands of anyone else they would be nothing more than jewelry. She had said Ed gave her these ÄRMs in order to protect herself, so maybe... he reached over and dug through the contents of the book bag. Book, book, book, papers, book, notebook, pen, pen, book, something leathery... a wallet, perhaps? Oh! He had struck metal, and lots of it! He pulled each metal object out of the bag and examined them.

He recognized most of them as ÄRMs Snow had before, although clearly not the same ones. When she... when she died, the ÄRMs she had at the time were destroyed as well. He was looking for one specific ÄRM... one he himself had given her... Aha! There it was, Holy ÄRM: Healing Angel! It's familiar angelic shape was unmistakable! This magical tool could heal most common injuries and most common illnesses. Surely it could cure her fever. This was way better than a wet towel. Koyuki must not have thought of it because she can't use ÄRMs anymore.

Ginta put the rest of them back in the bag and headed back to the bedroom. "Koyuki! I think I can use this to heal you right up!", he exclaimed, holding out the ÄRM in front him, it dangled back and forth on it's chain. Her eyes widened and she coughed a bit before responding, "Oh! R-right... t-there's that, you could... you could just do that, yeah...", she sounded a bit uneasy but Ginta didn't notice. He charged his magical power, something he hadn't needed to do in a long time and activated the magic device. It's holy light engulfed Koyuki's body and a minute later it faded away as if it had never been there at all.

He reached out and felt her forehead, it was normal. "How do you feel? Better?", he asked in anticipation. She nodded, again looking a bit uneasy but this went unnoticed by Ginta, who was just happy she was feeling better. "That's good. I was a little worried, it's been almost a year since I had to use one of these things... I thought I might've gotten rusty", he rambled on, scratching his head. He looked back down at her, noticing now that she looked a little... disappointed. "Hey... what's wrong?", he asked simply, shoving the ÄRM into his pocket. She perked up and shook her head, "What? Nothing... I feel much better! Thanks!", she stated cheerfully, this time in her usual cheerfulness.

He shrugged, "Hey, now that you're feeling better, you wanna go do something?", he asked aloud, pointing his thumb towards to door. Koyuki hesitated for a brief instance but jumped out of bed, "Sure, just... let me get dressed", she said, walking towards a dresser. Ginta nodded, walking out of the room, shouting back, "Okay! I'll be waiting out in the hallway!". Koyuki unbuttoned her shirt and sighed, it wasn't that she wasn't glad to be feeling better... but... she didn't think he'd figure it out that quickly.

She had, of course, realized she could have him use the Healing Angel earlier, but chose not to say anything. There was a part of her that wanted him to take care of her in her fever-state. But of course, Ginta was always more clever than even she had assumed. She smiled anyway, it might not have been what she wanted exactly... but she was still spending the day with him. She fashioned the iconic pink bow on her head, and combed her hair. Her boyfriend... sure was clever.

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**A/N: Thanks for reading, there will be more fluffy chapters to come soon. Also, if you'd like to check out my original story, "Million To One", it's available on , this site's sister-site, and there's a link to it on my profile. I would really appreciate that as well. Chapter 8 of this story is going to be on hold until I finish Entry #9 of that story so it may be a few weeks. Remember to leave a review here for this fanfic, and if you do check out "Million To One", make sure to leave a review there as well. Thanks, and I will catch ya later!**


	8. Dark Pasts and Bright Futures

**A/N: Another flufftastic chapter awaits you. **

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_She was floating. She couldn't see anything, she couldn't feel anything, she couldn't taste, smell or hear anything. Snow was completely alone is this isolated little world, and it terrified her to her core. She had been captured... and they put her to sleep. She didn't know how long she had been here, and she desperately wanted out. She felt like crying, but she couldn't. This is what it felt like... to not be a person. Snow was never a person to her stepmother... she was nothing but an object, a tool in her plans._

_She was useless... she couldn't do anything but wait for Ginta to save her. She felt so helpless and afraid, what was going to happen to her? Would she die? Or did they have something even worse planned for her? ...Would she ever see Ginta again? She never got to tell him how she felt... she almost screamed in her head. No! She didn't want to die yet... please... not yet._

_What if Ginta couldn't beat them? What if he didn't get to her in time? What if he... what if he... didn't really care about her? No... no... he did. He had to! ...right? But then all of these thoughts came to a grinding halt as every fiber of her being screamed in agony. It felt like she was being ripped apart piece by piece like paper. It hurt... it hurt so much... she begged for it to stop but it didn't. Ginta! I-I... I love you!_

_And then she was gone, as if she had never even existed. And in her place was an enormous swirling vortex, leading directly to Earth. The queen's voice echoes in her head, "Snow... No matter where you go... You belong to me..."._

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"Aaaaagh!", Snow shouted, as she nearly leapt out of her bed. She was in a cold sweat, and she couldn't stop shaking. She patted herself down, and felt her soft pajamas cover her body. She glanced around in the dark, there was no doubt this was her room on Earth. Her breathing was erratic, and her eyes widened by more than just a lack of light in the room. That... that was terrifying. She glanced at the alarm clock on the desk, it was a little past 4AM.

All of a sudden her cell phone rang, which startled her greatly. She clumsily reached over and grabbed it off of the nightstand and checked the screen. Huh? What was Ginta doing calling her so late? At this point she didn't care, it would just be nice to hear his voice. She answered the call and the familiar voice came, "Snow, are you alright? What was that just now? I... I could feel you panicking with my sixth sense...", Ginta's voice asked.

"Ginta... It... it was nothing. J-just a b-bad dream...", she stammered out, as if she didn't believe it herself. Ginta's tone was skeptical, "It must've been more than that, you sound really shook up right now...", his tone became much more caring towards the end. Snow was sure he could hear her heavy breathing over the phone, but she didn't want to worry him. "Snow. C'mon... tell me, it's okay", he continued in a very warm, gentle tone.

She gulped and began, "Well... I h-had a nightmare about... w-when I was captured but... y-you didn't save me...", her voice was shaky and sounded on the verge of tears. Ginta's heart ached at the words, the whole time she was in the queen's possession was a painful time for him. At first, he couldn't sleep and was caught between moods of 'refusing to train and wanting to save her right away' and 'could not stop training because he wanted to be prepared to save her'.

She continued, "Ginta... it was so s-scary and i-it felt so real... I-I was so afraid b-back then it... it hurts to remember, Ginta...", her voice was starting to break down in sadness and fear. Ginta spoke up, "Snow, it's okay! That's all over now... you're alive. You're alive and you're here on Earth with me now... the queen is dead. She can't hurt you anymore...", he stated reassuringly. Snow swallowed a lump in her throat and wiped away tears that had formed around her eyes.

"Snow. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry you have these nightmares, I can't imagine how it felt to be treated like that... but I promise I will never let anything like that happen to you ever again, Snow...", he went on, his voice filled with resolve. Snow nodded in agreement, she knew he couldn't see it, but it was almost instinctual. "I love you, Snow... I'm sorry I can't be there for you now, I wish I could hold you right now... I promise I'll come see you first thing in the morning, alright? Try and get some rest, okay?", Ginta said in such a way that warmed Snow's heart.

She smiled for the first time that night and closed her eyes, "O-okay. I'll try to get back to sleep... thank you Ginta... I feel a bit better now. I'm sorry I woke you...", she replied softly, almost whispering. If there was sound for shaking your head, she could've sworn she heard Ginta make it. "It's nothing at all... good night Snow, I love you", he said, even more caringly than before. Snow blushed a little and whispered back, "I love you too...", before hanging up and tossing the phone back on the stand. She slowly slipped back under the covers and shut her eyes tight, hoping for a better dream... or none at all.

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The following morning, Snow was downright chipper when Ginta arrived at her front door. She dove into his arms and pressed herself up against his chest, as she did most mornings when she was in particularly good mood. This did not go unnoticed by her boyfriend, "Huh? I thought you'd still be upset about that nightmare, what happened?", he asked in astonishment, as she backed away a bit. She smiled and looked off into the bright sky behind him, "I thought I'd be too, but... after I went back to sleep I had a much better dream", she explained.

Ginta chuckled, and he couldn't help it. He had told her about his dreams for as long as he could remember, and now she was doing the same. "Really? What happened in this dream?", he perked up inquisitively. She blushed a little and started to giggle, "Well... it might not seem like much, but in the dream, you and I were just sitting on the school roof... just talking. I can't remember what we were even talking about, but it felt nice", she elaborated, swaying back and forth happily.

Ginta's eyes widened, "Snow... I-I had that same dream last night!", he exclaimed excitedly. She turned her gaze sharply upon him in curiosity, "Wha-... Really?", she said as she raised an eyebrow. He nodded and continued on, "I remember... we were talking about something... something important, I think, but I don't know what...". Snow's smile couldn't be warmer, she absolutely loved it when life gave her little hints that she and her boyfriend really had a special bond.

"It doesn't matter what it was, it was just so nice to have a peaceful dream after the nightmare I had earlier", she said in a cheerful tone. Ginta's expression slowly became more serious as he began to speak, "Snow, you've had these nightmares before... are you sure you're okay?". Snow looked directly at him, his face was serious and filled with deep concern. She didn't like worrying him like this, "Yeah, I'm fine. There's... there's been a lot of pain in my life, a lot of things that hurt to remember but... that's all over now", she declared.

She reached out and grabbed his hand and pulled him down the steps. As they walked side by side, holding hands, she asked, "It is over, isn't it?". Ginta pulled her closer, almost shoulder to shoulder and uttered, "Snow... I won't let anyone hurt you like that again... not ever again". Snow leaned her head onto his shoulder and felt the warmth of his pulse. There was nothing to worry about, she trusted Ginta completely.

She might never fully get over everything that had happened to her. Being treated like an object instead of a person will do that to you. But as long as she had Ginta, there was nothing to fear. She felt a bit uneasy knowing that in this body, she could no longer fight... but it didn't matter. There was nothing to fight anymore.

"Thanks, I have to say... that was easily the second worst nightmare I've ever had...", she muttered, her eyes closed, just focusing on what she could feel. Ginta was surprised, "Huh? Then... what's your worst nightmare?", he asked, his face looking more baffled by the moment. Snow turned her head away in embarrassment and clenched her free hand into a fist. "I think it's best if you don't know...", she mumbled as she tried hard not to picture it. But alas, the image of Dorothy in a wedding dress still haunted the deepest recesses of her subconscious.

Snow clutched his arm tighter, that would never happen, ever. Ginta was her boyfriend, now and forever. _She was the only girl in his world... she was the only the girl in his world... she was the only girl in his world..._ she repeated over and over again in her head. Ugh... there she was... doing it again. Dammit! She told herself she would improve in this aspect. Just the other day she pulled Ginta away from a girl in their class who was just asking where the stapler was.

He didn't sound angry, but she could tell he was a little annoyed. But... she just couldn't help it when she saw another girl around him. She'd repeat in her head over and over again, _he is my boyfriend, he is my boyfriend, he is my boyfriend..._ to no avail. In the end, she'd always end up pulling him away. She smiled, and remember what Ginta had told her at the time. "I don't know why you feel so insecure... I've told you before, you are an amazing girlfriend, Snow... I wouldn't trade you for anyone", he had said.

Deep down, maybe she felt like she wasn't worthy of him. But that was starting to disappear the more he told her it wasn't true. It was just... even after all this time, she still couldn't believe she had won! Ginta Toramizu was her boyfriend and nothing would ever change that! Just as she was about to continue gushing, Ginta spoke, "Snow, I was wondering... what kind of cake you wanted for tonight".

Huh? Cake? Snow was very confused, "Hm? What are you talking about?", she asked, completely puzzled. Ginta was surprised, but not displeased, he didn't know how she could've forgotten, but... she looked cute when she was confused. He laughed, "How could you forget? It's your birthday, you dummy!", his face contorted with glee... and boy is that a strange way of putting it.

Her eyes widened, "Oh! Oh! That's right! I-I... I forgot all about that... hehe...", she started off sounding surprised and excited but ended sounding embarrassed. In the delight of her dream last night, she had completely forgotten about her own birthday! Her parents had already left, so there was nobody to remind her. Her birthday... she was fifteen now, just like Ginta... he had his birthday last fall. The previous week they had planned to get together at his place for her birthday after school.

"Wait, you can bake a cake, Ginta?", she asked in surprise. He nodded, "Uh, yeah... there's nothing to it really...", he responded nonchalantly. Snow's eyebrows furrowed, "Nuh-uh! Making cakes is... really... hard...", he exclaimed but slowly toned her voice down, realizing how embarrassed she was that the boyfriend could bake better than her. Not that she felt the need to conform to a stereotype or anything but... she really wanted to make him a good cake one day.

Ginta grinned and patted her on the back, then said, "It's okay. You'll get it someday... do you want me to teach you?". Snow thought it over for just barely over a second before vigorously shaking her head. "No! I need to do it myself! I wanna see the surprise on your face!", she exclaimed with full certainty of her words. Ginta shrugged, well then... he would be taken by surprise then. "Anyway... what kind do you want?", he asked cheerfully.

"Aw, c'mon! You should know my tastes by now, I want you to pick!", she proclaimed, challenging him. Ginta grinned widely, and nodded in acceptance. He was sure he could think of something she would really like, he knew her tastes better than anyone after all. While he was deep in thought, he didn't even notice Snow pull his face down to kiss him briefly. She hung her arms around the back of his neck and stated, "I forgot I hadn't thanked you for the dream yet... it really cheered me up".

Ginta blushed and squirmed a bit, "Heh. You really shouldn't start thanking me for things I do in your dreams...", he replied with a tinge of worry. Snow smirked mischievously and looked him straight in the eye, "Sorry, that's just what girls do", she said bluntly. A bit of sweat had formed on Ginta's brow, that was troubling... what if his dream counterpart did something particularly unsavory? He didn't mind taking credit for good things he couldn't control, but bad things? No sir...

"T-that's a rather dangerous trait...", he stammered out, his eyes darting around at random. She only continued to grin, letting go of his neck so they could continue walking to school and wrapping her arm back around his. In the distance, they could see other classmates taking their own routes. "Hm, nobody at school ever seems surprised we're going out...", Snow noted indifferently.

Ginta chuckled, "To be honest, I think they were expecting it for a long time", he replied with a jovial tone. Yeah... that was probably it, everyone seemed to act like it was an inevitability before. They might not have said it out loud, but everyone's face pretty much read as some variation of 'finally...'. A part of Snow sighed, if only things in the other world had been so obvious. Ginta had grown to love her, but was usually too focused on the tournament to show it much.

Ginta's eyes were off in the clouds, and Snow could tell he was thinking rather deeply about something. Before she could even ask, he came out with it, "You know... you really are amazing, Snow", he stated as fact. Snow blushed and gripped his arm a bit tighter, but said nothing and simply let him continue. "These nightmares are proof of just how much you've gone through... how much you've endured, and yet... all the while you kept on smiling", he went on, his voice filled with pride.

"After I came out of your mind, I started thinking about it over and over again. I think that was when that I truly realized how much I admired you...", he continued to elaborate his thoughts. Snow could only keep blushing, all this praise... she didn't usually think much of it. "I'd considered it before... but I think that was the first time I really considered wanting to be with you", he stated with a smile and a certain resolve in his tone. He scratched his head with his free hand.

"Sorry if that seemed a bit random, but I guess I just wanted to tell you that", he apologized honestly, his cheeks growing a bit red as well. Snow nervously shook her head, "No... that's... I-I mean... I could only act so strong because I was thinking of you", she stuttered anxiously. That caught Ginta's attention, "What do you mean?", he asked, looking down at the girl clutching his arm.

"When I looked at you... you had this air of confidence and strength about you... I j-just w-wanted to show you I could be that way too... I w-wanted your approval", she admitted in a voice that was both very happy and a little bit solemn. "Deep down, I was scared... but I kept a smile because I didn't want you to worry... I wanted to show you I could be strong too", she continued on. Ginta raised his free hand and ruffled her hair gently.

"Snow, you are the strongest person I know. And... I think on some level I was doing the same thing... acting brave to make you feel more safe", he confessed earnestly, his prideful grin growing wider. Snow rested her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk along, she couldn't feel happier at that moment. Though they didn't know it, they were building up strength and courage within each other back then. Truly, what a great couple they made.

Ginta checked his watch and exclaimed, "Uh-oh... We'd better hurry, we're gonna be late!". He slid his arm out of Snow's grasp, but took her hand and ran along pulling her behind him. If Snow was surprised, you couldn't see it beneath her smile... he was starting to remember to hold her hand more often.

* * *

Ginta's hand covered his face in shame. How had she been beating him all afternoon? He has once considered himself a master of FlarRed, a popular fighting game he owned. Now it was more often Koyuki would beat him, even with his best characters. She must've been practicing when he wasn't looking... she was over here all the time, afterall. The two of them had been sitting on cushions in Ginta's bedroom, playing games since they got home from school.

In all honesty, it wasn't all that different from normal and you could almost forget it was her birthday. Well except for the present he gave her before, which lay in it's box beside her. It was Japanese custom not to open wrapped gifts in front of the person who gave it to you. After a particularly humiliating defeat, Ginta pointed at her, "You know, I could totally beat you in a real fight!", he proclaimed with an annoyed tone.

Koyuki stuck a lone fingertip in her mouth and glanced at him with those deep brown eyes of hers. "You would never hurt me, right?", she mumbled in a cutesy voice. Ginta's heart started to race faster, she was just so adorable... "O-Oh... No, no... Of course I would never actually... I-I... well... You know what I mean!", he stuttered about his words the same way one might slip and fall repeatedly on ice skates. Koyuki giggled and inched closer to him, not close enough to touch, but close enough to feel the heat coming off of him.

"You know, I brought my princess outfit with me... in case you wanted to see me in it", she said, leaning closer and closer to him. Ginta blushed a little, it would be nice... "Alright, you can change in here and, I'll... go get the cake I made", he explained, getting up to leave the room. He walked into the empty kitchen, his parents were gone tonight. It was a happy coincidence that Koyuki's birthday was also their anniversary, so they were off having their own dinner together.

He opened the fridge and checked the top shelf, and there it was. The cake he had worked on all evening yesterday. It was small, after all it would only be the two of them, and had a very humble appearance. It was a white cake with tons of different berries added in, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc. Kind of like a mixed-berry yogurt but in cake form, and coated with an even coating of pure white frosting. As white as snow, one might say.

He had thought of putting candles on it, but realized that fifteen candles on such a small cake wouldn't look very nice. So instead, he formed a ring of fifteen blackberries on top, positioned upright almost like little trees. He pulled it out and closed the fridge door tight, and leaned in to sniff his creation. He hoped she would like it... rationally thinking he believed she should. He had the idea when he remembered how often he saw her eating those mixed-berry yogurt cups.

He chuckled a bit to himself, an in-joke nobody else could ever understand. But it seemed so like Koyuki to enjoy mixed-berry, and not discriminate or exclude any type of berry. That's just the kind of person she was, kind and caring, accepting of everyone. Ginta was always amazed at the size of her heart, and was glad he took up such a large part of it.

He waited a few minutes before reaching for the doorknob, giving her enough time to change. As he pulled open the door back to his bedroom, he nearly dropped the cake. There Koyuki was, standing there in nothing but her bra and panties. It took her a mere moment to realize he was now in the room, and her face had never turned so red so fast as it did just then. Ginta knew he should probably look away but... he couldn't help but stare.

She wasn't a model or anything like that, and she never would be. She wasn't overly curvy and her breasts were small and humble. She was a petite fourteen... er, fifteen year old girl... one Ginta was in love with. His face turned almost as red as hers in the blink of an eye, here was his girlfriend... and so much of his girlfriend. Her undergarments were a light lavender and her exposed skin was smooth and pale.

By typical depictions of 'beauty', Ginta had, of course seen better... but none of that mattered to him anymore. This was the girl he loved, and right now this was the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld. She tried to quickly cover herself with her arms, but it was a futile effort. "K-K-Koyuki! I-I... t-though you w-would b-be done by now...", Ginta stammered like he had never stammered before.

She looked away, out the window, despite the fact that the blinds were down. "O-Oh... I g-got d-d-distracted by s-something in the room so I d-didn't start changing when y-you left...", she muttered, almost under her breath. It sounded like she was breathing heavy for some reason. "Oh... I-I could c-come back in a f-few more minutes...", Ginta said, turning to leave when suddenly Koyuki shouted, "N-N-No! I-I m-mean... ", she started but trailed off.

A brief pause ensued before she continued, "Y-You... could dress m-me... if you wanted...", she offered in the most nervous voice ever. Ginta blushed intensely at the mere thought... she wanted him to dress her? He never thought he would do something like that so soon... but there was no choice here. She might not know it, but she was testing him. If he left now after she offered, it would mean that he wasn't attracted to her.

He pivoted his foot and turned back around to face her. He placed the cake down on top of a shelf and walked towards Koyuki, the princess outfit laying spread out on his futon. This would be the most awkward thing he had ever done, and so he began by picking up her maroon shorts. Funny, they actually looked smaller when they weren't on her legs. He held it out above the floor and she slipped her feet through the holes.

He very carefully pulled the shorts up through her legs, of which he got a nice long look at them. Her thighs... they were still pretty skinny but had a bit of meat to them. He pulled the shorts up to her waist, feeling the slight curve from her knees to her waist. Next was her tank top, which he grabbed and lifted her head head and down under her arms. She allowed him to pull the strings over her shoulders and straighten it out at the bottom.

He felt her sides as they ran down her body, this was nothing new to him, he hugged her everyday. But there was something special about this time... the next two jackets went on much easier and now there was only one part left. Since she wasn't wearing her boots inside, all that was left was her bow. He fashioned it on her head, feeling her thick, soft hair and as he pulled away, she stood there, still very embarrassed.

Now that she was dressed, he had no qualms about hugging her. He dove right in and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing tight. "Ginta! I-I...", she began before he cut her off, "Snow... thank you. You might not believe it but... you really are beautiful", he stated as a matter-of-fact. She blushed and fidgeted a bit in that cute way of hers and wrapped her arms around Ginta, squeezing him back just as tight.

After a moment's worth of this embrace, they sat down and cut the cake in half. In an unusual twist, they took turns spoon-feeding each other bits of cake. Snow expressed her appreciation of Ginta's choice of flavor, just like he thought she would. After it had been consumed, the young couple snuggled tightly together on his futon and watched TV together. "_Happy Birthday, Snow-chan_", he whispered into her ear as they cuddled the rest of the night away.

* * *

**A/N: "FlarRed" is a parody of BlazBlue, btw. If that wasn't obvious. Anyway, be sure to review! And check out my original story, "Million To One" on Fictionpress! The link is in my profile, and I'd really appreciate it. I've gotten into the rhythm of writing back and forth between this fic and my original story, so just as I had to write an entry of that before this chapter, I now have to write another entry for that story before I continue this one. Back and forth, like a cycle. It's worked well for me so far.**


	9. Straight From The Heart

**A/N: This chapter was typed completely on my new laptop, btw. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Koyuki hummed along to herself as she casually strolled down the hallway of her school. She hummed and giggled with glee as she could barely contain her excitement. It was a very special day today and she couldn't wait for break, she was absolutely sure she got everything just right this time. Sure, it had taken thirty-three attempts over the last three days but the end result would surely speak for itself. She gulped audibly, well... she hoped it would anyway.

Koyuki shook her head fiercely. No! It would work! It had to work just as planned! She had poured her heart and soul, her very essence and every ounce of love she could spare into it! It absolutely, undisputedly, and unconditionally would be perfect! She clenched her fist with her free hand as her eyes burned with infinite passion. If it wasn't successful, she was an absolute failure as a girlfriend. She grinned wildly as if it were her very identity, **Infinite Burning Passion Girlfriend Koyuki!**

She couldn't help but snicker a bit at her silly self-appointed title. But it wasn't her fault, she had caught Valentine's Day fever and the symptoms included a fluttering heart, spontaneous blushing and an overabundance of cutesy nicknames. She glanced back down at the stack of papers in her other arm, oh right... she was asked to deliver these to the faculty office. Once again she had let her intense feelings distract her from what she was doing... perhaps that's why it took so many tries to finally bake a good... no! Her intense feelings had to be the secret source of her latent culinary potential!

Koyuki wore a gentle smile as they continued to think to herself. Even if it wasn't very good, she could still imagine what Ginta would say. Something like, '_I'm proud of you, Koyuki. Keep at it! Don't give up, there's a hundred Valentine's Days in our future and I just know you'll get it right_'. She closed her eyes for a brief moment to envision his optimistic grin, yeah... he would say that. Ginta... he always believed in her... even when she didn't. She stopped dead in her tracks, she was starting to feel very warm thinking about it.

She shook her head once again, now wasn't the time for this! She had errands to run! She sighed as she continued walking, it was like this a lot. As she was about to turn a corner into another hallway, she noticed something and immediately ducked back behind the corner. About halfway down the hall stood Ginta... talking to _another girl_. Instantly, Koyuki's heart-rate shot up and her muscles tensed. Looking more closely, she realized it was the same girl who had asked him where the stapler was before. Grr...

Koyuki swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. She mustn't interfere and pull him away again... she didn't want to look that clingy. She took long, deep breaths and tried to relax. This was her chance to show some self-control, and prove that she was comfortable enough in her relationship not to get worked up over these things. She took another look at the situation and grew a bit more scared. That girl... she was actually really pretty...

She gritted her teeth, it just wasn't working. She suddenly felt really sad when she realized how weak she was being. But the truth was, she was just mortified that one day Ginta would leave her for someone else... someone sexier, or wealthier or... could actually bake cakes. He'd tell her over and over that she had nothing to worry about but... she just couldn't help it! She took another look, and it seemed Ginta was rather embarrassed about something...

This triggered a red flag in her mind, what could he be embarrassed about? As per usual, she imagined the worst, the possibility that he was ashamed of asking another girl out. For a split second, she almost felt like crying... how could he do this to her? On Valentine's Day, no less? Her knees trembled... why? What did she do wrong? She gave it 110% every day! She was completed dedicated to being the best girlfriend she could be! They had even agreed to meet on the roof during lunch break today... taking one last look, she noticed the girl walk away, looking oddly relieved...

Ginta walked across the hall and enter a classroom. And just like that, Koyuki was all alone in the hallway. She bit her lip... she had to calm down. That... couldn't possibly have been what it looked like, right? She shook her head for the third time... No! It wasn't right of her to jump to conclusions like that! She gripped the stack of papers tightly and scurried down the hallway to her destination. She would get him to explain what happened at lunch today.

* * *

"Ginta!", Koyuki blurted out suddenly, which made the blond boy jump from shock. She had just arrived on the rooftop, and he was sitting against a wall waiting for her. Koyuki's cheeks were red and her eyes moist as she spoke, "Why Ginta? Why did you ask that girl out today!?". Her voice was trembling and probably not as loud as she had intended it to be. Ginta looked absolutely dumbstruck at this accusation as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Oh... you saw that? Look, Koyuki... it's not what you think. She was asking me out!", he explained, his tone more honest than defensive. The color drained from Koyuki's face, and she suddenly felt really immature... "Oh... what did you tell her?", she asked earnestly. Ginta crossed his arms behind his head and calmly replied, "I told her I already have a girlfriend, of course. I was so shocked someone would actually ask me out today that I felt really embarrassed about turning her down, but... that's how it goes".

Koyuki's entire body relaxed and she stared at the ground in silence. So that was it, huh... there really wasn't anything to worry about after all. Once again, she had gotten all worked up over nothing. Ginta could clearly see she was upset, and so he asked, "Koyuki, why don't you sit over here by me? What's wrong?". Slowly, she inched forward and took her seat beside him. She mumbled a bit before she began to speak. "I'm so weak... I got all worked up and upset over nothing...", she confessed sadly.

Ginta reached over her shoulder and pulled her closer. "Listen Koyuki, I... I want you to trust me. I'm not leaving you and even if I did, which I won't, but even if I did I would come clean about it. I'm not the kind of guy who'd string you along like that", he stated reassuringly. Koyuki sniffled a bit as she responded, "I trust you, Ginta! I really do! It's just... there are so many other girls who are better than me...". Ginta shook his head and looked her right in the eyes.

"Koyuki. You don't need to be perfect, I'd never want to put that kind of pressure on you. I love you just the way you are... because you aren't perfect. You stumble, you fall over... but you always get back up. And I love watching you get back up", he explained with a warm smile on his face. Koyuki closed her eyes and chuckled loudly, "Hehe, Ginta... you really are good with these kinds of speeches, aren't you?", she replied, in a tone much happier than before.

Ginta could only smile as he looked towards the cloudy sky, "I'm a hero. It's kind of an acquired skill", he told her gently. She might have laughed, but truly, she took it to heart. She would always try her best to be a great partner for him, but it was comforting to know he wasn't trying to hold her up to some high standard or anything. The breeze blew through her short hair, as it had so many times before. A part of her was beginning to suspect the wind was the world's way of telling her to be more confident in herself.

A spark went off in her brain and she suddenly remembered what day it was. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot!", she exclaimed as she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a plastic container-type thing. She removed the lid-type device and revealed a small, heart-shaped chocolate cake. It looked like devil's food cake or something similar. On top of the chocolate frosting was pink and red interchanging heart outlines that covered the top of the cake.

Koyuki blushed as she presented it to him, "Mhmhm... Happy Valentine's Day, Ginta!", she exclaimed, at first mumbling but then speaking clearly. Ginta stared down the cake as if it were his age-old mortal enemy. He grabbed the not-so-aforementioned plastic fork from the container and held it up high. This was it, the showdown that was meant to be, mano-e-mano, assuming the cake was male. It certainly _looked_ good, but looks can be deceiving. But today was not a day for running away, and thus he stabbed the cake and took the first bite.

Instantly, his eyes widened in utter shock. The texture just moist enough, the frosting aptly applied, the flavor strong, but not overbearing. The chocolate was strong with this one... and he noticed bit of solid chocolate matter inside the cake as well, chips? chunks? Who knew? But it was... it was... "Koyuki! This is... really good!", he exclaimed, his mouth still full. If you thought his eyes were wide, just wait until you read about seeing how wide Koyuki's eyes got when she heard that. In an instant, her level of confidence and pride shot up.

"Eh!? Really!? You really think it's good!?", she shouted, sounding utterly bewildered. Ginta continued to munch down, talking between bites, "Mhmhm, yeah! It's really good! This is great, Koyuki!". She sat in silence as she watched him eagerly gobble the cake up, and she couldn't feel more accomplished if she tried. After a moment, Ginta turned his eyes to her, "Do you want some too?", he asked politely. Koyuki shook her head, "No, no! It's all for you! Besides, you get to pay me back next month!", she responded cheerfully.

Ginta nodded and continued munching away. He knew he was proud of her, but not as proud as she would be of herself. And perhaps that was even more important, really. When he was finished eating, Koyuki turned to look him straight in the eyes, "Ginta. I'm not gonna stop here, you know. I'm still going to keep working at this until I can make a great cake every time!", she declared ambitiously. Ginta's smile did not waver and he reach over and patted her on the back. "I wouldn't want it any other way", he stated honestly.

The pair laid back and relaxed against the cold stone wall. The occasional ray of sunlight shining over them, and as Ginta stared up into the piercing brightness he mumbled to himself, "We should go to the beach together this summer... when the weather's nicer". They had neglected to go there last year, for whatever reason it just never occurred to them. Koyuki blushed a bit, Ginta had never seen her in a swimsuit before... aside from the fairly modest school-issued ones.

Then again, there was the time he walked in on her changing a few weeks ago... she had even let him dress her. She gulped, that... that was an even bigger deal, wasn't it? She shrugged in her mind, she wasn't sure how that particular scale worked. Koyuki tried to put that behind her though, she was going to be his life partner after all. She needed to get more comfortable with him and her body. Her thoughts kind of came to a halt after that however... I mean... was it really time to be thinking like that?

She glanced at him, and looked down at herself. _That day_ seemed like it would be sooner rather than later, just given how things were going. In fact... if he asked her now, she probably wouldn't refuse him. But he wouldn't, not now, not yet. That just wouldn't be like him. The feeling in her heart was a mixture of embarrassment and excitement, the day would come when their feelings would overwhelm them and they would do things that couldn't be undone.

While she was deep in thought, she didn't notice Ginta sneakily lean in and kiss her. Without even thinking about it, she returned the gesture. This embrace lasted a bit longer than was normal... not that she kept a secret journal that held records of all the various times and places they had kissed, including durations and personal rankings or anything... heh, that would... that would just be silly, wouldn't it? Eh... hehe... ahem.

After a moment, Ginta pulled away and asked, "If there's anything in particular you wanted to do today, tell me". Koyuki crossed her arms and nodded, thinking it over. She tried to think of something unusual, but ended up deciding on something that to most would seem rather mundane, "I don't know. I can't think of anything in particular... why don't we just go to your place and do our usual thing?", she suggested casually. By 'their usual thing', that pretty much meant eating dinner and snuggling while playing games or watching movies.

Ginta didn't seem to mind though, "Anything you want me to cook then?", he asked in a very gentle, polite tone. Koyuki snapped back, "Hey! Wait a minute, I should cook for once!". Ginta chuckled at her, "Don't get ahead of yourself. One good cake, a chef does not make", he replied. Koyuki sighed, that was true... "Alright... but next year for sure, got it?", she proclaimed adamantly. Ginta nodded, "How about we take turns then?", he suggested. Koyuki nodded eagerly, that seemed like a reasonable compromise.

Ginta looked off into the horizon as he said, "Hm... I think I know just what to make tonight...". Koyuki could almost hear her stomach growling already, she trusted him to know her tastes well enough. Or... maybe she had just forgotten to bring her own lunch today... yeah that could be it.

* * *

**A/N: What will Ginta do come White Day? Who know!? Well... I do. But you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out. Sorry this chapter is on the short side, but I kind of wanted Valentine's Day and White Day to be two separate chapters so yeah. Anyway, be sure to leave a review and check back again soon for more fluffy goodness!**


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